Jennifer Aniston Salad
The Jennifer Aniston Salad is packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you full for hours. Filled with fluffy quinoa, crisp veggies, fresh herbs, chickpeas, feta and pistachios, see for yourself why this version has gone viral!
Servings: 6 servings (approximately 1 cup each)
Calories: 458kcal
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.
Notes
Storage:
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1007mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 3mg