Learn how to make the lettuce-less viral Jennifer Anistons Salad recipe that’s been trending on TikTok. Filled with quinoa, cucumber, pistachios, chickpeas, feta, and fresh herbs, all tossed in a light lemony dressing, this gluten free salad is packed with plant-based protein, healthy fats and tons of nutrition.
This Friends star knows how to fuel her body for long-lasting energy throughout the day.
Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad Recipe
You don’t need to be on Jennifer Anistons diet to understand why the Jennifer Aniston Salad is so delicious. While the famous Friends character shared her “perfect salad” secrets on Instagram a few years back, I’m here to show you how you can make your own version at home, with easier-to-find ingredients and simple salad swaps.
More like a quinoa salad than the Friends meal made with tabbouleh, I’ve recreated the viral salad recipe so I could call it my own! Healthy, nutrient-dense, and a complete meal-in-one bowl, this dish contains all the macros you need when you sit down for lunch or dinner. It’s packed with the perfect proportions of proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats to provide fuel AND flavor.
What Is The Jennifer Aniston Salad
If you are a Friends sitcom fan, you may have heard Jennifer Aniston report that she ate the same salad every day for 10 years while filming on set. So I did my research because I needed to know what was in that salad, only to discover that she was actually consuming a Cobb salad with a bulgar wheat base and bulked up with turkey bacon and chickpeas.
Suffice it to say, this technically isn’t the salad Jennifer Aniston ate with her co-stars, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. It still contains all the components of a complete meal, but even better because you can customize it to build your own bowl.
Jennifer Anistons Salad Ingredients
- Vegetable stock: I used vegetable stock to cook my quinoa so I could keep this recipe vegetarian. Feel free to substitute chicken broth or water when cooking the quinoa.
- Quinoa: The salad Jen shared on her Instagram story was bulgur wheat-based, but since bulgur isn’t gluten-free, I swapped it with cooked quinoa. Quinoa is a great source of plant-based protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, and a good source of fiber. And because it’s a complete protein, it contains all nine essential amino acids.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are high in fiber and plant-based protein. For convenience, I used a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas.
- Cucumber: I prefer to use English or hot house cucumbers for this salad because they add the perfect crunchy contrast to the soft quinoa base.
- Red onion: Red onion adds extra flavor and crunch to this quinoa pistachio salad.
- Pistachios: Shelled and roasted pistachios provide healthy fat, flavor, and protein to this salad. These nuts can be very expensive and often hard to find in a local grocery store. Some great substitutions would be chopped cashews or almonds instead.
- Feta cheese: Feta is a good source of healthy fat and is full of tangy flavor. Crumbled goat cheese can be used as a substitute for the crumbled feta cheese in this salad. Both the feta and goat cheeses are soft and mild, but the Feta cheese is a bit saltier in flavor than the goat cheese.
- Fresh Herbs: Both fresh mint leaves and fresh parsley provide refreshing flavor and add antioxidants and vitamins.
- Fresh lemon juice: I think fresh squeezed lemon juice tastes best for the light dressing.
- Extra virgin olive oil: EVOO retains its natural antioxidants and vitamins during processing. This makes it a more healthful oil than regular olive oil but also makes it a little more expensive. You can use regular olive oil if you prefer.
- Honey: Honey adds sweetness to offset the tang of lemon and salty flavors. Vegan alternatives are maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Salt
- Black pepper
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Cook The Quinoa: Bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the quinoa to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Chill: Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Add The Ingredients: Add the chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, pistachio nuts, feta cheese crumbles, parsley and mint to the chilled quinoa. Set aside.
- Make The Salad Dressing: Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and black pepper.
- Toss Together: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This Jennifer Aniston Salad can be served either at room temperature or slightly chilled. It holds up well in the fridge, so it’s perfect for meal prep. Enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week, pack it as a post-fuel snack after a workout, enjoy it as a satiating dinner, or doctor it up with your favorite proteins and dressings.
Tips & Variations
- Build Your Base: You can substitute the quinoa for bulgur wheat, farro, or even couscous depending on your dietary preferences. Make sure to cook each of these substitutes according to their package directions. You will want a total of 3 cups of cooked quinoa substitute.
- Make Without A Mason Jar: If you do not have a lidded jar for the lemon dressing, you can certainly whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Vegan Version: Feel free to use a dairy free feta cheese and swap the honey with your favorite plant-based sweetener if you want the salad to be vegan.
- Prepare Without Pistachios: For a nut-free salad, you can swap the pistachios for sunflower seeds or even pumpkin seeds.
- Build Your Own Bowl: Put your own spin on this viral salad recipe. Serve the salad over a bed of baby spinach, mixed greens, or chopped romaine. Add a variety of veggies, like celery, tomato, bell peppers, or carrots.
Proper Storage
For best results, store this salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The longer these salad ingredients are combined, the softer they will become from the moisture of the cucumber and lemon dressing.
Make It Ahead
You can save time by making the quinoa up to 48 hours before assembling the salad. The quinoa is best when completely chilled before combining with the other ingredients. If the quinoa is too warm when mixed with the other salad components, it will make the rest of the ingredients too soft and mushy. Using warm quinoa will wilt the fresh herbs and cause the vegetables to lose their crisp texture.
More Salad Recipes
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Jennifer Aniston Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup quinoa
- 16 ounce can chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cucumber small diced (english or hot house cucumbers used)
- ¾ red onion small diced
- ¾ cup shelled & roasted pistachio nuts chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To a medium sized (2-3 quart) saucepan bring the vegetable stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa, stir, add the lid and reduce the heat to the saucepan to low. Cook the quinoa for 15 minutes.2 cups vegetable stock, 1 cup quinoa
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the quinoa to sit undisturbed, with the lid still on the saucepan, for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Transfer the fluffed quinoa to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to overnight, or until the quinoa is completely chilled.
- Once the quinoa has chilled, add to the large bowl the chickpeas, diced cucumber, diced red onion, pistachio nuts, feta cheese crumbles, fresh parsley and fresh mint. Set aside.16 ounce can chickpeas, 1 cup cucumber, ¾ red onion, ¾ cup shelled & roasted pistachio nuts, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- To a small lidded jar, such as a pint size mason jar, add the fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt and black pepper. Add the lid to the jar and shake well to fully combine, and emulsify, all the ingredients to create a light dressing for the salad.⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to combine all the ingredients of the Jennifer Aniston salad. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- Store this salad in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days for best results. The longer these salad ingredients are combined, the softer they will become from the moisture of the cucumber and lemon dressing.
- You can substitute the quinoa for bulgur wheat, farro, or even couscous depending on your dietary preferences. Make sure to cook each of these substitutes according to their package directions. You will want a total of 3 cups of cooked quinoa substitute.
- If you do not have a lidded jar for the lemon dressing, you can certainly whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Feel free to use a dairy free feta cheese and swap the honey with your favorite plant-based sweetener if you want the salad to be vegan.
- For a nut-free salad, you can swap the pistachios for sunflower seeds or even pumpkin seeds.
- Put your own spin on this viral salad recipe. Serve the salad over a bed of baby spinach, mixed greens, or chopped romaine. Add a variety of veggies, like celery, tomato, bell peppers, or carrots.
