The Jennifer Aniston Salad is so worth the hype! My version of this viral salad recipe is gluten free, has extra vegetables, and has an option to add your favorite protein!
Jennifer Aniston Salad Recipe
By now we all know the famous Jennifer Aniston Salad – the viral recipe from almost two years ago – was actually not the salad that the actress ate every single day on the set of Friends. Instead, it was something she once shared on Instagram – and listed the ingredients and called it her perfect salad.
The salad she actually ate was a version of a cobb salad, but that is a post for another day!
This healthy salad has been all over my social media feed since. But despite being someone who very clearly had a Rachel Green haircut in the 90’s and still likes to fall asleep to Friends because it’s my comfort show, I actually only tried the salad recently.
And maybe she didn’t eat it daily, but I definitely could. If you are like me and have waited to try it, wait no more! I totally agree with Jen – this is a perfect salad!
Why I Love This Salad
- Texture – It checks off all the salad textures for me with the crisp fresh veggies, fluffy quinoa, crunchy pistachios, and creamy feta.
- Fresh herbs – I am a sucker for anything with fresh, chopped herbs, especially mint. So bright and flavorful.
- Simple dressing– The light and fresh lemon vinaigrette is made from three ingredients I always have on hand.
- Customizable – For example, the original recipe is a little low on veggies and protein, so I added in some chopped bell pepper and served it with greens and shrimp. You could customize it to your preferences and it will still be delicious!
- Great for Meal Prep – The base of this salad is perfect for a meal prep lunch because you can add the dressing and it will still be delicious the next day!
Ingredients
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients and amounts!
For the Salad
- cooked and cooled quinoa – I have seen this recipe with both bulgur wheat and quinoa, but I am using quinoa here to keep it gluten free.
- garbanzo beans/chickpeas – Excellent source of plant based protein.
- chopped cucumbers – I used Persian cucumbers – aka the mini cucumbers – but the original recipe calls for a large english cucumber.
- red onion- Tip: soak your red onion to get rid of some of the bite.
- yellow bell pepper – Not in the original recipe, but I wanted more crunchy veggies in this salad. Yellow bell peppers are mild and sweet!
- crumbled feta cheese – Or your favorite cheese; vegan feta also works or you could leave this out.
- pistachios – Love the crunch and flavor of roasted pistachios in this salad. Also good addition of healthy fats!
- fresh parsley and fresh mint- Do not skip! The fresh herbs make this salad! (If you are like me, you can increase this to 1 cup mint!) You are looking for flat leaf parsley.
Optional for serving:
- greens – I love serving this salad over chopped spinach, arugula, or mixed greens for more veggie power.
- your favorite protein – Anything from diced chicken breasts, salmon, shrimp, tuna, tofu, hard boiled eggs, or even turkey bacon would turn this salad into a meal!
For the Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:
- fresh lemon juice – The juice from about 1- 1 1/2 lemon
- extra virgin olive oil – Avocado oil would also work
- honey – Maple syrup would work for vegan
- salt and pepper – to taste
Variations
- Swap feta for goat cheese or parmesan cheese, or use your favorite vegan cheese
- Add in additional fresh herbs like fresh dill or green onion or more veggies! Tomatoes would be delish, too.
- Swap pistachios for slivered almonds, or pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- I love the simple dressing of fresh lemon and olive oil, but you could put a different spin on this salad with Italian dressing
- Swap quinoa for brown rice or wild rice
Step by Step Instructions
For the full recipe, be sure to check out the printable recipe card below.
- Make the dressing: add ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid, or small bowl, then shake or whisk to combine.
2. Add chilled quinoa to a large mixing bowl, then add chickpeas, chopped onion, chopped pepper, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.
3. Drizzle with dressing, then toss to combine. Top with pistachios and feta cheese. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
4. Serve over greens and with your favorite protein for a complete meal.
Tips for the Perfect Quinoa
- For extra flavor and protein, cook your quinoa in bone broth.
- My favorite way to cook grains is using my Instant Pot! This Instant Pot Quinoa comes out perfectly and I use the freezer tips in this post all the time. It’s awesome to be able to grab cooked quinoa for salads or a quick side dish.
- This recipe works best with quinoa that has cooled after cooking. If you need to cool quinoa quickly after cooking, spread it out on a sheet pan and place it in the freezer or refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Meal Prep and Storage
- Even with the dressing on it, this salad holds up well for 3-4 days after prepping, so it’s awesome for meal prep. Be sure to place it in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
- Keep all protein and greens in separate containers or ziplock bags until you are ready to serve.
- This would also work well as a mason jar salad. Place the base of the recipe at the bottom of the jar, then layer protein of your choice on top. Then add your chopped greens. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
If you like this salad recipe, try one of these next:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating & a review in the comments section! We love hearing from you!
Jennifer Aniston Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- 15 oz chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cucumbers chopped, I used persian
- ½ cup red onion minced; soak to get rid of the bite
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced small
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ⅓ cup roasted salted pistachios chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped
Optional for serving:
- 1-2 cups chopped spinach and/or arugula optional for serving
- 3 cups your favorite protein diced chicken, shrimp, etc.
For the lemon dressing:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Add ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid, or small bowl, then shake or whisk to combine.
- Add chilled quinoa to a large mixing bowl, then add chickpeas, remaining veggies, and fresh herbs.
- Drizzle with dressing, then toss to combine. Top with pistachios and feta cheese. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Serve over greens and with your favorite protein for a complete meal.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you! 💕
Nicole says
This is so good!
Pooja says
Just tried a small bite before putting it in the fridge for the flavors to mesh with each other 😀 and so yummy!
How much would one serving ( of just the salad without the options) be, 1 cup ? 1.5?
Thanks again for delicious recipes!
Nancylynn says
Thank you! By options do you mean just without the optional greens and protein on top? It would be a little less than 1.75 cup per serving
Pooja says
Yes, that’s what I meant ( just the salad, no greens and/or protein).
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer!
Again, I’m awed by how good this simple recipe tastes!
Thank you for sharing it😊
Heather says
Where do you get your fresh mint?
Nancylynn says
At the grocery store in the herb section 🙂
Annette Naltchayan says
Delicious, especially if you love lemon!! I added baked tofu to it. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Nancylynn says
Oooh yum, Annette! Thank you for your comment!
Carolina says
I’ve made this multiple times! It’s that good!
The first time I followed the recipe but used dairy free feta cheese. Since then I changed it up based on what I like. I decided to leave out the mint and parsley and use a full cup of cilantro. I also added lemon zest. Thanks for the recipe! ♡
Nancylynn says
This is great – use what you like! Thank you for sharing and for taking the time to rate the recipe, too!
Alicia Bradshaw says
Does adding chicken to the salad count towards a “red” if you’re doing 21 Day Fix?
Nancylynn says
Yep! 3/4 cup diced cooked chicken would count as 1 RED
Karen says
Can’t wait to try this! What size can of garbanzo beans? 15 oz?
Nancylynn says
Yes! Can’t wait for you to try it!