Greek Orzo Salad in a Jar.
Salad in a jar, why must you be a thing?
I am freakishly obsessed with this salad. Freakishly! Which is crazy since it’s just a salad. I don’t know what it is about things in a JAR that make us lose our minds, but this? I’m losing my mind. Losing it over the salad in a jar. It’s just so easy and flavorful and perfect for when you’re on the go.
This salad right here? It’s going to make your week SO much easier.
I’ve shared all sorts of Greek-inspired things here on the blog. I have my most favorite greek salad ever and that’s where I started with this.
Since I’m still on this thing where I’m trying to find really great lunches, I had to go for the jar option. Something to prep ahead. I rarely like lunches when they are prepped ahead (I mean, I eat them, but I’m just rather… MEH about whatever I made) but these are a GAME CHANGER.
Total game changer. I swear.
And it’s not just because it’s a salad in a jar. It’s the whole flavor thing. Trust.
Here’s the thing. I use a bit of chickpeas AND whole wheat orzo. Not a ton of either – just a little of both for that whole texture thing. Like a few tablespoons of the orzo and then a ¼ cup or so of the beans. I find that this is crucial to the texture and it makes it INSANELY satisfying. Like ridiculously satisfying.
And the best part is that YOU can be the one to decide how much you want. Do you want to use a large jar and have a little more orzo and beans for something super filling? Or do you want a smaller jar for a smaller serving size? Do you want to eat this straight out of the jar, all mixed up – or do you want to pour it over greens for a powerhouse salad that is incredible?
Your call!
The other thing! I left one of these jars in my fridge for four days. Yep, four days.
I poured it out into a bowl and ate it in my car like a nutjob (so I wouldn’t make other bad choices… aka, Starbucks drive thru) and it was still DELISH. The only thing that got semi-funky was the cucumber and I mean, it was barely soft. And that was only probably because it was stuffed between the roasted peppers and the olives!
The kicker.
The kicker is that you must put your dressing on the bottom, and you have to put something “in” it that won’t soak it all up. I went with the feta and then the chickpeas next.
This basically means that once you go to eat your salad, you have marinated feta and chickpeas.
I mean…
This just keeps getting better and better!!
Now of course, you don’t HAVE to put the dang salad in a jar. Make all the components and put them in one large salad to serve at dinner or at a party or at your own lunchtime thing. I like the idea of doing the jar prep because there ARE a lot of ingredients and components that go into this. And I wouldn’t recommended leaving any of them out because they are all super delish. They all add to the fantastic flavor.
Jars. When it comes to jars, I’m definitely partial to Weck jars. I love this medium-ish size and this larger size. Both have the clasps and I like this SO much more than the ball jars with lids that screw on.
Throw everything in there, store it in the fridge and you have the BEST LUNCH EVER.
Salad in a Jar

Greek Orzo Salad in a Jar
Ingredients
dressing
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salad in a jar
- 1 cup cooked whole wheat orzo you can use leftovers, make it the night before, etc!
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup diced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pickled onions
- fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Note: this salad will fit in four of these .5 liter weck jars!
dressing
- In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil. This dressing stays great in the fridge in a sealed container for a week or so, so feel free to make a double batch if desired!
salad in a jar
- If you haven't cooked the orzo yet, make it according to the directions on the package.
- Have your jars ready to go and have everything chopped and pepper before assembly. Makes it much easier!
- To build the salad, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of the dressing into the bottom of the jar. To each jar, add in about 2 tablespoons feta cheese, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 2 tablespoons roasted peppers, cucumbers and olives, a handful of fresh sliced tomatoes, some pickled red onions and fresh herbs. Top that with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked orzo (or more if you'd like!). Cover the jar and stick it in the fridge.
- When you're ready to eat, you can pour the salad over lettuce, or throw it in a bowl itself and go to town. Have salt and pepper on hand if you need it - I find this to have enough flavor az is!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
The happiest sight.
58 Comments on “Greek Orzo Salad in a Jar.”
Freakishly good; and love the tip about putting the dressing on the bottom!
thanks love!
Amazing, thanks for putting in the effort for sharing such recipes from time to time. It looks so mouthwatering, I would rather keep it for show than to eat it.
Where did you get those glass jars? Love them!
amazon!! i linked them above – they are just weck jars!
what a great idea! can’t wait to try this
thanks wendy!
Glass is so in now! I’ll put it in a used salsa jar. A staple in my house. Thank you.
:)
Sounds (and looks!) so yummy! And I am always looking for lunches on-the-go!!
thanks girl!
This looks incredible! I’m a huge fan of salads and the concept of having it in a jar is so convenient. Plus, I love the addition of the orzo for taste and texture.
thanks so much melissa!!
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Do you know the nutritional numbers on this? I’m on a very strict diet for medical reasons.
i don’t calculate the nutritional value here on the site, but there are many free online calculators where you can plug in the exact ingredients you use and calculate it there! it will be way more accurate that way because you can plug in exactly what brands and amounts you use.
Is the recipe for 4 salads in a pint size jar or a half pint size jar? It seems like the ingredients would fill 4 half pints but your picture looks more like a pint jar. I want to take this to a tailgate party because it looks delicious. Just trying to make sure I have enough for everyone, :-)
Thanks, Beth
hi! these are the 1/2 liter jars from weck: https://www.amazon.com/Weck-742-Mold-Jar-Liter/dp/B00N36U7II/
4 salads will definitely fit in those! if you’re taking it to the tailgate, i would suggest having some lettuce (chop it up!) on hand too – that way if you have space at the top of the jar, you can add that in for filler!
That is an amazing looking recipe and the pics makes it look so good. I will try it this coming weekend when the whole family is at home.
I meal prepped the these for lunch this week & had bits of everything left so I threw it in a bowl for a quick supper. Holy yummmmm! Can’t wait to have the jars over the next couple of days!
love!!! so glad! xo
Wow, this salad is looking so delicious, thank you for sharing your blog
thanks!
OMG, just finished my lunch & it was amazing, I did use 4 bean salad from Costco in place of chick peas but that was the only change, loved it…looking forward to tomorrow…
so glad you liked it!!!
I love all the salads, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
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Wow! What a great recipe! And so adaptable. The salad dressing recipe is outstanding. I took this salad to work (in a beautiful jar), and my coworkers were totally impressed! Really satisfying salad that took me through to dinner. Thank you!
Looks amazing. Where did you find whole wheat orzo? Thx
Do you have the recipe for the pickled onions?
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OMG THIS SALAD IS AMAZING. My favorite part is thE way the feta and the chickpeas absorb the taste of the dressing. Just finished my lunch and already looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch.
I made some substitutions based on what I had (doubled the oregano because I didn’t have dill
And substituted quinoa for orzo) and it was still delicious.
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If you made the salad and mixed it all up, how long would it last in the fridge all mixed up? Or would you recommend not mixing it with the dressing until eating? Thanks for your help!
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This was awesome! The only thing I changed was that I used whole wheat orzo and omitted the dill from the dressing, since I didn’t have any. It’s like a party in a jar!
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Highly recommend this salad! My husband and I both love it for a quick lunch.
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This is amazing! And so fun to build each day! I use a quart jar and stuff spinach on top.
Omg these are sooo good!!!!
I made an oopsy and doubled the recipe. Can these be frozen from plastic containers? Or not really!
Everyone was jealous of my instagram lunch! I use quart jars and stuff spinach on top.
Love, love, love your recipe
Ideas! This Greek orzo salad – delish! Thanks you for sharing.