California Cobb Mason Jar Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

California is known for so many incredible things, these California Cobb Mason Jars Salads with Green Goddess Dressing featuring California Avocados essentially combines them all in one easy-to-make, on-the-go meal!

Summer in California looks a lot different this year, but we are making the most of the current situation and of course, all the incredible goodness that California always has to offer us.

We’ve gotten quite creative with our time outside of the house this summer, including our date nights. Weekends used to mean heading to a new restaurant, somewhere we could feel pampered, explore a new neighborhood and have a true California experience. In recent months, we have been taking drives to the ocean, picking a new beach each week, grabbing take out from our favorite local, farm-to-table restaurants, supporting California farmers and purveyors or just making and taking our own meals to-go!!

We are always celebrating the goodness that California offers from amazing produce and signature flavors in classic recipes to the best dang views and outdoor living there is!

One of my most favorite classic California creations is the California Cobb Salad. I am not quite sure where this iconic salad originated but today I am sharing a fun new twist so you can take it up a notch and make it portable.

California Cobb Salad

A classic California Cobb salad featuring chicken, bacon, California avocado, hard boiled egg, blue cheese crumbles and various fresh produce like lettuce and tomatoes, usually lined up and arranged beautifully in a rainbow presentation.

Here’s the thing about a Cobb salad, you can really make it your own. Add some red onions or cucumbers, maybe some chickpeas. Add in spinach, kale or arugula for more dark leafy greens. Swap out the blue cheese for more avocado. As for the dressing, there are many variations you will find here, as well, from ranch to blue cheese dressing or even a simple balsamic vinaigrettes – but today, since we are celebrating California this California Avocado Green Goddess Dressing felt very apropos to celebrate one of California’s greatest gifts, the avocado!

California Avocado Green Goddess Dressing

This simple-to-make creamy green goddess dressing is THE perfect compliment to this California-inspired salad. From it’s vibrant color to the fresh, bright flavor and rich, creamy goodness. This makes more than what you need for two large mason jar salads, but keep it on hand for dipping fresh veggies, throw it over any salad or grilled veggies, over eggs, etc.

How to Make California Cobb Salad in a Jar:

Creating and serving a salad in a jar is a game-changer for summer eats, especially on-the-go. Picnics and beach trips may not be as abundant but we’ve been maximizing our date nights with grabbing food and driving to the beach in LA for what I will venture to call the finest oceanside dining, from the luxury of our own car.

When creating mason jar salads here are a few simple tips to make the best salad experience possible – meaning NO sad, soggy lettuce:

1. Start with your dressing at the bottom, anywhere from 1-4 tablespoons of dressing, depending on how much you like and how large the salad is. By keeping the dressing at the bottom you’ll prevent the lettuce and other ingredients from getting mushy.
2. Continue to layer your mason jar salad by adding any hard veggies and fruits. I find adding tomatoes at the bottom right after the dressing helps to keep any excess water from the tomatoes away from the other ingredients.
3. Next add your proteins.
4. Layer any soft veggies or fruit (like avocados) mid-jar or just right before the greens.
5. Add the blue cheese at any point in the middle, if using.
6. Finally, add the salad greens. Salad greens such as lettuce have to always be on top to avoid them getting soggy or wilted.

By finishing with the lettuce or greens last you can squeeze in as much as you can fit into the jar. With the greens being on top, when you turn the jar over to empty it out, you create a bed of greens.

Mason Jar Salads are the Perfect On-the-Go Meal

With how these salads are stored, you can make it up to a day head and just grab and go. Bringing a plate and some forks along for the ride. Most people assume you eat a mason jar salad straight from the jar… NOPE! That wouldn’t be very fun or easy.

How Do You Eat a Mason Jar Salad?

Well, when you are ready to eat the mason jar salad, just…

1. remove the cap to the mason jar;
2. if there is room in the jar, give the mason jar salad a really shake to mix the dressing with the rest of the ingredients;
3. either way just shake the salad into a bowl or a large plate as you pour all the ingredients out;
4. toss as needed to combine.

Enjoy!!

How Long Will a Mason Jar Salad Last?

Most mason jar salads will last up to 5 days, if stored properly, so feel free to make ahead or even use this method for meal prepping for the week.  

Be sure the lid is screwed on tightly so it’s sealed and store in the fridge. 

Great for on-the-go lunches if you are heading to work, the perfect park lunch if you need a break from working from home or a fun date night beach-side dinner.

California Cobb Mason Jar Salad with Green Goddess Dressing {gluten-free, keto, paleo + Whole30 options}

gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, keto, options for Whole30, paleo, dairy-free

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 -4 servings

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 2-8 tablespoons California Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, see recipe below
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 to 4 hard boiled eggs
• 6 to 8 oz of cooked chicken, shredded, cubed, etc
• 1 California Avocado, cut into cubes
• 2-4 oz crumbled blue cheese
• 6 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled or roughly chopped
• 4 cups+ of salad greens, I used little gem lettuce, because it was local and in season

Instructions

• Make sure your two wide-mouth mason jars are clean and dry.
• Add 1-4 tablespoons of California Avocado Green Goddess Dressing to the bottom each jar. (it’s your preference for how much dressing you like and how many ingredients there are). These keeps the other ingredients from getting soft or mushy.
• Diving the ingredients between the two jars, begin layering the ingredients, in the order listed above.
• Tomatoes, then eggs, chicken, avocado, cheese, bacon, then lettuce.
• When you get to the lettuce, ass as much as you can squeeze into the jar, feel free to gently press down to make enough room for the greens.
• When you are ready to eat your California Cobb Mason Jar Salad unscrew the lid and shake the contents out into a bowl or plate. Toss everything well to combine, as needed so everything is coated in the dressing and the ingredients are well dispersed.

Notes

Anything listed above typically found in a Classic Cobb is obviously optional. Feel free to add your favorite salad ingredient, like cucumber, red onion, radish, chickpeas, a different cheese, your favorite lettuce or other greens – you can make these Mason Jar Cobb Salads your own!!

Green Goddess Dressing {gluten-free, keto, paleo + Whole30}

gluten-free, paleo, keto, whole30

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Ingredients 

• 1 large ripe California avocado
• 1 cup packed fresh parsley, stems removed
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup water, more or less as needed for desired thickness
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil mayo
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, or 1 very small shallot
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil mayo
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender or small food processor. Pulse a few times then blend until well incorporated and super creamy. Add more water as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Notes

You can use half basil and half parsley, if you’d like
Add a small jalapeño (seeds and ribs removed) or red pepper flakes for a little heat
Use a vegan mayo to avoid eggs, as needed

This post is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission but all opinions are my own.