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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.
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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
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Tasty recipe! I made 2 to put in the fridge and served the rest for dinner tonight. I didn’t have orzo so I subbed chickpeas. Delish!
Hi Laura,
Wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
I’ve been making this once a week! I haven’t been adding the salad greens to the jar because I’m using a few cups full and I wouldn’t have room for that in the jar.
This is a very substitution friendly recipe. I try to avoid dairy a lot of the time and it still has tons of flavor without the feta, the olives still provide that salty briny flavor!
Very filling and though there’s a bit of prep time it’s really tasty and worth it!
Thanks so much Charlotte!! I love to hear that you have been enjoying these salad jars, thanks for making them so often:) xx
I love making this! It takes a fair bit of prep, but then I’m set for lunches for the week. It’s so delicious and filling. Yum!
Hey Claudia,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment! Have a great weekend!🌼🌴
I LOVE this every time I make it but I was wondering, do you think this would be good with quinoa as well? I have a late Christmas party this weekend and was tasked to bring a quinoa salad! If not, I think I’ll just make it with small pasta and add chickpeas for extra protein!
Hey Sara,
Sure, I bet quinoa would be delicious! Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
Made without the olives and would skip the hummus next time but this was a delicious easy dinner!
Hey Mel,
Happy Wednesday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxT
Excellent
Hi Diana,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
SO good. Made it for the whole week! I added red onion because I had some extra in the fridge 🙂
Hi Gina,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Darn, I love hummus but don’t have any on hand! I bet it would add some nice creaminess to the mix. Do you think adding a bit of Greek yogurt would help, since I don’t have the hummus?
Hey Jennifer,
Sure, Greek yogurt would work or just skip it, not a big deal at all:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
Wow. This recipe has made me a salad convert. I love that I can prep 3 or 4 jars at a time. I’ve tailored the recipe a bit. Omitted the Hummus but added in chickpeas, Bocconcini, quinoa. Added roasted beets one week. Using Arugula is a game changer! I also add in some type of fresh green herb, usually mint or Cilantro. Thank you Teighan for this recipe.
Hey Melody,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
Loved this so much! Favorite thing to prep for work week lunches. I really hope there are more salad jar recipes in the future. The other one she’s done is also fantastic!
Hey Berkeley,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was tasty!?
Absolutely delicious and super easy to prep! I ended up keeping my lettuce and hummus separate, but I had smaller jars. I’m also going to add some grilled chicken for the rest of the week. Thank you for an easy healthy lunch!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
LOVED this dish! So creative, simple and easy while on the go!
Hi Dana!
Happy Friday! Thanks for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was a winner! ? xx
We had this for dinner last night and it hit the spot. I’m having it again for lunch today and it definitely got better overnight! I love having the pretty jars lined up in my refrigerator, too.
Hey Jennifer!
Thanks for your comment and making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Hope you’re off to a great week! ? xT
Dang! This was SO good! I’ve tried jarred salads in the past but they are always quite underwhelming… the idea of the dressing as a marinade is great! I totally forgot the hummus the first time I made these and it was still so so good!
Thanks for sharing!
Hey Darcy,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Have made this multiple times & absolutely love it! I’ve eaten immediately after making & after letting it sit in the fridge overnight—it’s delicious either way but the extra time in the fridge really let’s all of the flavors marinate & makes it even better!
Hey Stephanie,
Awesome!! Love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe, thanks for making it so often:) xTieghan
Made this for a group of friends for afloat night on the lake. They loved it and ate every bite. You now have 5 new fans.
Hey Rhonda,
Awe thanks so much:) Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, sounds like the perfect night! xT