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Mediterranean Salad Jars are the perfect meal prep lunch that you can grab on the go. Prepare several jars at once for an easier week ahead, or serve it as a satisfying salad right away.
This Mediterranean salad recipe is easy to customize with your favorite protein and veggies. Use white beans or chickpeas to make it more filling, or try adding cooked quinoa, which is a complete source of plant-based protein.
You can also serve it with grilled chicken, shrimp, or any other options you love. It also makes an excellent side dish for practically any main course!
Salad Ingredients You’ll Need
This salad features fresh ingredients, like chopped cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, and romaine lettuce. Paired with feta cheese, kalamata olives, and a tangy vinaigrette, it’s hard to resist!
Feel free to use any other ingredients you have on hand, like bell peppers, green onions, or fresh herbs like parsley, basil, cilantro, or fresh mint.
If you prefer goat cheese, you can swap that for feta, or omit the cheese for a dairy-free salad.
How to Make the Best Mediterranean Salad
To prepare the salad dressing, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small mason jar.
Secure the lid and shake well to mix. Or, use a whisk to stir it together.
If you plan on serving this salad right away, chop the cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, and olives. Add them to a large bowl and pour the dressing over the vegetables. Toss well.
Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top, then taste the salad and make any adjustments you like. You can add a pinch more salt or lemon zest, or a little extra oregano to boost the flavor.
To assemble Mason Jar Salads, which can be stored in the fridge as a make-ahead lunch, you’ll need 3 quart-sized jars. Add 3 tablespoons of dressing to the bottom of each jar.
Next, divide the red onion between the 3 jars, followed by the chickpeas. You’ll use roughly 1/2 cup of chickpeas in each jar. Next, divide the cherry tomatoes, olives, and feta between the jars. Add the chopped lettuce last, so it won’t sit in the dressing and become soggy.
Secure the lids on each jar and store them in the fridge. They will stay fresh and crunchy for up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to eat the salad, it’s helpful if you can let the jar rest on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This will let the dressing come to room temperature and slide out of the jar more easily. (Olive oil can sometimes thicken when chilled.)
Alternatively, you can place the bottom of the jar in a bowl of warm water to help the dressing reach a runny consistency again.
Pour the contents of the jar into a large serving bowl. The dressing should coat all of the vegetables as it pours out, and then the salad is ready to eat immediately.
Looking for more salad recipes? Try Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, or Greek Pasta Salad for more ideas.
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad Assembly
- 1 small red onion , diced
- 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 English cucumber , chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes , chopped
- ½ cup Kalamata olives , pitted and sliced
- 3 ounces feta cheese , crumbled
- 1 large head romaine lettuce , chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the salad dressing by adding the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, and black pepper to a small jar with a lid. Shake it vigorously to combine, then set it aside.
- Arrange 3 wide-mouth quart-sized mason jars on your counter for easy salad assembly. Pour 3 tablespoons of the dressing into the bottom of each one. On top of the dressing, add the diced onion, garbanzo beans, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta, and then the lettuce, in that order to avoid soggy vegetables.
- Secure the lid to make the jars airtight, then store in the fridge until ready to serve for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can toss the ingredients together in the dressing right away and serve it as a side salad, or top with protein as a main course.
- To serve a mason jar salad, unscrew the lid and pour the contents into a large bowl. Since the dressing is on the bottom, it will pour over the salad last, dressing all of the vegetables. Stir well to coat, then enjoy right away. If the dressing thickens in the fridge, set the jar in a shallow bowl of warm tap water for 10 minutes, which will give the dressing a runny consistency again.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Mediterranean Salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
These are going to be perfect to take to lunch for work! Thanks!!
These look so good that I have been out and bought 2 mason jars to try the recipes. Looking forward to preparing and eating them.
where do you find the air tight lids to avoid spillage?
I ordered a set of the lids on Amazon! I use the wide mouth lids the most for salad jars like this one, but I also bought a set for my regular jars, too. I don’t use the metal lids that came with the jars at all anymore, because they rust so easily. Here’s the set I ordered: https://amzn.to/2Ooi6dF
Yum! These sound so good. And bonus, I’ve been playing with aquafaba a lot lately and need to eat more chickpeas. 😁
Looks great! I like that the dressing is on the bottom to prevent sogginess! Do you have any suggestions on preventing the jar from toppling over on the way to work (hence spreading dressing all over the rest of the salad stuff).
Thanks in advance!
I try to place the jars in a bag with other things that will keep it upright, but I don’t think it would be too bad if the dressing spreads only a few hours before you eat it. I just wouldn’t want it to topple over and then be stored in the fridge for 3 more days.
I actually have a Kelly Moore camera bag/purse with dividers in it (intended for camera lenses) and it works AMAZINGLY well for keeping things upright. My husband and I bring 2 travel mugs of hot coffee and two ice waters from home in it to the movie theater, and nothing tips over. (I usually share shots of this on Instagram if you want to see it for yourself– I’m obsessed with my purse. And I don’t think I’ve ever used it for camera lenses. LOL)