Middle Eastern Seven Layer Salad in a Jar

For the salad:
In a large heavy pot, cover quinoa with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 18–20 minutes. Uncover the pot, top with a clean kitchen towel, and close the pot again; let stand 5 minutes. (This will help ensure the quinoa is dry and fluffy). Spread the hot quinoa on a platter or baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. (This sounds like a fussy step, but it helps the quinoa cool without overcooking and getting mushy.)

In a very large clear plastic serving bowl, spread lettuce in a single layer and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange herbs on top, followed by the quinoa. Spread the radishes on top, followed by the cucumbers, pushing them toward the edge of the bowl if you don’t have enough of each vegetable to form a complete layer.

For the dressing:
In a dry skillet, toast the spices over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar or bowl. Use a pestle or an ice cream scoop to lightly crush the spices.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk yogurt with mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar. Season with salt. Spread the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with the spices, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes:
1. To make this salad in a jar, simply follow the instructions above. The recipe will yield 4 quart jars. This is a large portion and will allow you to leave some room in the top so you can easily mix it up when you’re ready to eat. Unfortunately, I only had 4 pint jars, so I halved the recipe. The portions were perfect for four lunch-sized portions for the week, but required that you compress the lettuce as much as possible to make room for all 7 layers. I found a whisk helpful for pushing down each layer.
2. Shredded rotisserie chicken would be an amazing additional layer if you want more protein!