Greek Salad in Jars

Grab-and-go Greek salads in jars! Mild and smooth California black ripe olives are the stars – they'll hold up to a few hours in your lunch box.

By
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

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Updated July 02, 2022
Sally Vargas
Greek Salad in Jars
Simply Recipes

The ingredients in a Greek salad are very simple and need little improving: tomatoes, olives, onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, and peppers. Some tender greens fill out the salad, while add-ins like leftover shredded chicken or cooked chickpeas can add more substance.

But, the true stars of today’s salad are the black ripe olives. These olives have a firm texture that can stand up to a few hours in a lunch box. Plus, they have a uniquely mild and smooth flavor thanks to a processing technique that's unique to California ripe olives – no bitter-tasting olives here!

The olives actually soak up the flavors of the dressing and other ingredients, making each bite burst with flavor.

Greek Salad in Jars
Simply Recipes

The ingredients here are enough to make four smallish salads, each with just a small amount of greens and which fit in a pint-sized canning jar. You can, of course, use a larger jar and pack yourself a larger salad with more greens and other ingredients.

The main premise is to put the dressing and the juiciest ingredients on the bottom of the jar, and top the remaining ingredients, ending with the tender greens. The advantage of this "salad in a jar" is that the dressing and the juicier ingredients stay on the bottom, and the other ingredients stay crisp and fresh. No need to fuss with tiny, leaky containers of dressing.

When ready to eat, dump the salad out into a bowl or onto a plate, toss a few times with a fork, and you're good to go!

These salads will keep for two days (sometimes longer) packed in jars and stashed in the fridge. They're a great make-ahead lunch for busy weeks, or for a ready-made side-salad to serve with dinner.

Greek Salad in Jars

Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings

If you prefer more greens in your salads, pack the salads in quart-sized jars and pack the top with more spinach or salad greens. The salads will even keep for two days (sometimes longer) in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

For the salad dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Pinch freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil

For the salads:

  • 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 large English cucumber, sliced

  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 3/4 cup black ripe olives

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta

  • 4 small handfuls fresh baby spinach, or other dark leafy greens of choice

  • 4 pita bread rounds, halved, to serve (optional)

Method

  1. Prepare the dressing:

    In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and honey.

    Gradually whisk in the oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if you like.

    Greek Salad in Jars
    Simply Recipes
  2. Add the dressing to jars:

    Divide the dressing evenly between 4 pint jars.

  3. Assemble the salads:

    Divide the onion between the four jars. (The onions will marinate in the dressing as the salads sit, which will keep them from overpowering the salad.)

    Divide the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives and feta between the jars. Pack the remaining space with spinach, compressing the leaves slightly.

    Greek Salad in Jars
    Simply Recipes
    Greek Salad in Jars
    Simply Recipes
    Greek Salad in Jars
    Simply Recipes
    Greek Salad in Jars
    Simply Recipes
    Greek Salad in Jars
    Simply Recipes
  4. Secure the lids and refrigerate:

    Store and transport the salads upright so the dressing stays on the bottom.

    Refrigerate salads for up 2 days.

  5. Serve:

    Empty the salads into bowls and toss with the dressing. Serve with pita bread.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
539 Calories
27g Fat
61g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 539
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 1089mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 64mg 319%
Calcium 287mg 22%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 506mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.