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These Marinated Tomato Feta Orzo Salad Jars are a fun, easy, and wholesome make-ahead lunch or dinner. These simple, delicious salad jars are no-cook, come together quickly, and with very little effort. Greek olives, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, salty feta cheese, orzo pasta, and a tangy, herby Greek dressing. Each jar is so colorful and, once everything is tossed together, very yummy too. Enjoy these for lunch or dinner.
I think everyone can relate to this, but the second Memorial Day passes, it’s full-on summer. I know the season doesn’t officially begin until summer solstice, June-21st, but once school’s out, in my mind, it’s summer.
For me, summer signifies a time for delicious cooking…but not a lot of it. I don’t want to be tied to the kitchen on busy summer days. Or stuck at the stove on a warm, peaceful night. I just want simple, vibrant, delicious, and satisfying recipes.
Honestly, it’s a lot to ask out of most recipes. Some recipes just take time and effort. But I’m hoping to create plenty of summer recipes that are more on the easier side. So I thought the perfect recipe to start with would be these make-ahead salad jars.
The idea
The idea is that you can assemble these over the weekend or on days when you have some extra time. Then enjoy them either for lunch or dinner in the days to follow.
What’s awesome about this idea is that the jars take almost no effort to prepare. And as they sit they actually develop even more flavor.
You can enjoy them for lunch. Or use them for dinner by adding a side of grilled chicken, steak, or sautéed chickpeas for added protein.
The steps
Even though the recipe says to start with the dressing, I like to prepare all my salad ingredients first. This just means, cooking the orzo and chopping up the vegetables and herbs.
Then I make the dressing, which is a slight twist on a Greek vinaigrette. Instead of red wine vinegar, I like to use balsamic for a more intense flavor. The balsamic soaks into each of the ingredients really well.
For the dressing, simply mix everything together. No fancy steps.
Then, you layer. I use glass weck jars, but feel free to use any set of random jars. They can even all be different, you just need to use a larger jar (around 16 ounces).
Layer it all in. The key is to start with the bell peppers. Then pour over the dressing and add the feta and tomatoes. What happens is that the dressing ends up marinating the peppers and some of the feta too. It really adds a lot of flavor to each jar.
After the tomatoes, everything else goes in. Cucumbers, olives, orzo, fresh dill, and basil. Then a big scoop of hummus and fresh arugula too.
Keep each jar in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Then just dump out the jars and toss everything together.
As mentioned, grilled chicken or steak would really be delicious if you want to serve these up for dinner. Or if you’re a vegetarian, try using warm sautéed chickpeas. You could even add an egg too!
Lots of options. Each is delicious and perfectly easy for summer days!
Looking for other great salads? Try these.
Pesto Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad Wraps
Mango Kale Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Salad
Lastly, if you make this Marinated Tomato Feta Orzo Salad Jars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Marinated Tomato Feta Orzo Salad Jars
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 910 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 shallot, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- chili flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
Salad Jars
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (sunflower/pinenuts)
- 1-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces feta cheese, cubed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
- 1 1/12 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 2 cups cooked orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup mixed chopped dill and basil
- 1 cup hummus
- 4 cups fresh arugula
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. In a glass jar, shake or whisk together all ingredients. Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.2. Layer the jars. Using 4 (16 ounce) glass jars, evenly layer the seeds and bell peppers. Pour 1/4 of the dressing into each jar. Then, add the feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, orzo, and herbs. Add the hummus, then arugula. Seal the jars and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. 3. To serve, pour the contents of the jar out into a bowl. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over top. Season with salt, if desired. Enjoy!
I made these and love them. Easy to customize. I’m vegan so I added vegan feta to mine. My son hates feta so left it out of his. Husband hates kalamata olives, etc. just wrote their names on top and we’re all good to go! Thanks!
Hi Kate,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xTieghan
I made this and used a 20 oz jar and could not get everything to fit. I left out the arugula and hummus (no room)…and put those 2 ingredients on the plate before dumping the jar ingredients on top. Very flavorful, colorful and filling meal. Nice to make it ahead…so a nice lunch or dinner is ready when you are. Thanks for a fun recipe!!
Hi Kayo,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made this yesterday for my lunches this week to take to work (school teacher, last week of school!!). LOVE!! Quick comment, though – I found that the sunflower seeds soaked in the marinade were difficult to chew. I also needed to use jars larger than the 16oz ones you recommend. But the flavor combinations were fabulous!! Thank you!
Hey Lou Ann,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear about your sunflower seeds. xTieghan
I made this! I used red smocked “florinis” peppers, a great delicacy and added meetbals too to upgrade it in a lunch meal. Great!
Hey Olga,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
OMG I have been thinking about meal prepping but wasn’t sure exactly where to start. This recipe is out of this world delicious. I made it exactly as written using baby arugula and it was fabulous. I topped it with a sliced grilled chicken thigh that had been marinated in Greek salad dressing just to add some protein to lunch. I could eat this salad every day, it’s that delicious! So far I haven’t found one of your recipes that I haven’t loved.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Hey Holly,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! Thanks for your kind message:) xTieghan
This is a classic combo of ingredients and the dressing is delicious, but I might offer some suggestions after prepping these yesterday for lunches throughout the week…
*Putting the sunflower seeds in the jar first will result in dressing-soaked, mushy seeds. If that’s what you’re looking for, great. I was not, so I avoided this by keeping them on the side and adding when I emptied the jar into my bowl to eat.
*Adding the dressing at the bottom of the jar with the veggies on top results in some of the peppers being “marinated,” but not the tomatoes (as the title implies). If that’s what you’re looking for, do a quick marinade of the tomatoes in the dressing for half an hour or so, prior to assembly.
*A 16 oz jar was way too small for this… I used a 32 oz jar and it worked great.
I gave the jar a quick shake after the tomatoes and feta were added so they had a little marinade as well. It worked perfectly.
Hey Kaycee,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your feedback. xTieghan
You r recipes are all delicious . I just wish you had nutritional information with them.
Thanks so much Barbara! Sorry, I only have the estimated calorie count available:) xx
Delicious and fresh. I used a Greek olive mix which was really yummy and toasted my pine nuts. I wouldn’t add any salt to the dressing as there is plenty with the feta & olives. Will be eating this for lunch the next couple days.
Hi Noell,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback!! Have the best week:) xx
Where did you get those jars?
Hi Bernadette,
Here’s the link for the jars:
https://rstyle.me/+F0OpX-P-SDlTKKElWe6wTQ
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Everything about this was perfect, it stopped my husband dead in his tracks and he asked “is there more of that?” It smells and looks as good at it tastes, which is amazing. I ate this for lunch at home, prepped the dressing with toppings in Tupperware containers and kept the lettuce separate until ready to serve. Super easy! I had mine with homemade tofu “feta” for extra protein.
Hey Lindsay,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback!! Have the best week:) xx
I wanted easy lunch options and this is perfect! Since I’m not going out of my house for work I made this in a large rectangular Rubbermaid container without the arugula or hummus. When I ready to eat it I put the arugula in a bowl and scoop everything else onto it, topping with hummus, lemon and salt. Thanks for a great summer lunch staple!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Best salad in a jar I’ve ever had! I’m glad I have several days worth!!
Oh…I added quinoa and chickpeas instead. Incredible…and the dill was the best.
Awesome!!
Hey Dana,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I’m not a fan of hummus – sorry ?. Any suggestions for a substitute? I love everything about this recipe except for the hummus. Appreciate your input☺️
Hi Jean,
Just skip the hummus:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
You could do babaganoush.
I made this tonight – half for tomorrow, the other half for dinner. It was so delicious! My only regret is not doubling the dressing so I can make more salad for the week!
Hi Denise,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and trying this recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xxTieghan
Popping in to say that this recipe has saved my (very hectic) week!
What a delicious combo. I never would have thought to add a scoop of hummus to my salad bowl, but it adds a wonderful creaminess. I swapped out the orzo for pearled couscous and it held up really well.
Hi Dayna,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and trying this recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xxTieghan