Making lunch for work can be a proper faff. It’s probably one of the least-loved jobs in the kitchen (alongside conjuring the energy to make a midweek dinner).
So, here’s your solution – pre-prepped veg and bean jars. Make them on a Sunday, store them in the fridge, and you’ve got nutritious, delicious, flavour-packed meals to see you through until Thursday. If you’re not vegan, switch up the topping – maybe a jammy soft-boiled egg, some leftover roast meat or flakes of salmon. Customise these however you like.
All you need to do is give the jar a shake when you’re ready to eat, to coat everything in the dressing. We’ve included Great British Food Award-winning Watercress Kimchi from Good Fermentation – made in Surrey using locally grown watercress from Kingfisher Farm, where the nutritious plant has been cultivated in natural spring water for more than 170 years.
Ingredients (makes 4)
For the dressing;
- 4 tbsps soy sauce
- 4 tbsps toasted sesame oil
- 4 tbsps rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 2tbsps sugar
To layer:
- 150g edamame beans or fresh peas
- 150g (cooked weight) cooked brown rice
- 100g kimchi
- 4 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 cucumber, shredded
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- Small bag spinach
Optional toppings:
- 200g smoked tofu, cut into pieces and sauteed
- Sesame seeds, toasted
- Seaweed flakes
Method
1. Clean out 4 large jam jars thoroughly. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing and evenly pour into your jars.
2. Next, evenly layer the ingredients in the following order – edamame beans, rice, kimchi, carrots, cucumber, spring onions, spinach and toppings.
3. Seal the lid and store in the fridge. Shake the jar to wake up all the flavours and get stuck in.
