The Jennifer Aniston Salad is fresh, crunchy, and packed with plant-based protein. Enjoy this light, gluten free salad as a healthy lunch or dinner.
“This recipe has become one of my FAVORITE go-to salads! So fresh with delicious textures and flavors. It’s one of those things I will happily make a big batch of and eat throughout the week!”
Alternatively titled, “The One with the New Lunchtime Obsession.“
I don’t know about you but anytime I hear the name “Jennifer Aniston” followed by pretty much anything else, I’m in. If it works for Jennifer Aniston, it works for me!
That said, I recently stumbled upon a dish that Jen once described as her “perfect salad” and I couldn’t resist making it the very same day. Ding, ding, ding – we had a winner!
The Jennifer Aniston Salad is fresh, crunchy, healthy, and packed with plant-based protein. I’ve been eating it on repeat as a light lunch and protein-filled snack after a challenging workout.
Could this salad BE any more health goddess-esque?!
Watch How to Make It
Not THAT Salad
If you’re a Friends television show fanatic then you probably know that Jennifer Aniston reports that she ate the same salad every day for 10 years with co-stars Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow while filming the series.
THIS salad is not THAT salad.
The salad Jen ate on the set of Friends was a Cobb Salad, while this salad is a riff on a tabbouleh. She shared it years ago on Instagram with the caption “My perfect salad”, and was nice enough to also list the ingredients that were inside her bowl.
Celebrities — they’re just like us!
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Pin ItWhat’s in the Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Quinoa: The salad Jen shared on Instagram was bulgur wheat-based but since bulgur isn’t gluten free, I swapped it with cooked quinoa instead. Quinoa is a nutrient-dense seed, not a grain, and is a great source of plant-based protein, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Chickpeas: also called garbanzo beans, are high in fiber and protein. I use canned chickpeas for convenience.
- Cucumber: provides a fresh, satisfying crunch. I use english or persian cucumbers, which don’t need to be peeled, though a regular cucumber (which I do peel first) works great too.
- Red Onion: adds a nice, spicy crunch to this quinoa salad.
- Fresh Herbs: fresh mint and fresh parsley add refreshing flavor to this recipe. If you’re hesitant about the mint, PLEASE give it a try at least once – it’s a game changer!
- Pistachios: provide a salty, satisfying crunch plus flavor and protein. Chopped cashews, walnuts, almonds, or even sunflower seeds are fine alternatives.
- Feta Cheese: adds tangy flavor to this easy, healthy salad. If you’d like to keep the salad dairy free and vegan, you can use vegan feta or simply leave it out.
- Lemon Dressing: While Jen didn’t mention a specific dressing in her Instagram post, I think a simple combination of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, plus a drizzle of honey brightens up the whole dish.
Great for Meal Prep
This recipe makes a TON of salad which is great because you can portion it out for easy lunches all week long. Simply mix everything up, including the dressing, then scoop into individual size storage containers, or wide-mouth mason jars with lids.
Add any protein or additional lettuces on top then cover. Voila — instant, healthy lunches for the week!
What to Serve it With
Personally I think this quinoa and chickpea salad is totally satisfying on its own, but feel free to pair it with additional protein / healthy fats. Here are some ideas:
- Grilled chicken or Air Fried Chicken Breast
- Roasted chicken
- Roasted shrimp
- Steak (pan fry or on the grill)
- Salmon (roasted or pan fried)
- Sliced avocado
Variations
The Jennifer Aniston Salad has been SO well received by readers and what I love is that they’ve found ways to make it their own! Here are some ideas on how to put your own spin on this viral salad recipe:
- Cheese swap. Swap feta cheese for crumbled goat cheese. Honey goat cheese would be divine in here!
- Nut swap. Use chopped roasted cashews, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds instead of pistachios.
- Add lettuce. Serve the salad over a bed of baby spinach, mixed greens, or chopped romaine.
- Add Veggies. Pump up the veggies by adding chopped celery, tomato, peppers, or carrots.
- Salty. Mix chopped kalamata or Italian green olives into the salad.
- Sweet. Add dried cranberries for a pop of sweet.
Fresh, crunchy, and healthy to boot, I hope you’ll give this gorgeous salad a try! Let’s get to it.
How to Make the Jennifer Aniston Salad
Step 1: Cook quinoa in chicken or vegetable stock.
Bring chicken or vegetable broth or stock to a boil in a small pot then add the dry quinoa, turn the heat down, and then cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the stock has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
The cooking process is very similar to cooking rice. You’ll know the quinoa is done when it “pops” into what look like tiny little springs. The texture is so great.
Scoop the quinoa into a storage dish or large bowl with a lid to cool before placing into the refrigerator to chill completely.
Recipe Tip
I usually cook the quinoa a day or two ahead of time so it’s chilled and ready to toss together with the other ingredients.
Step 2: Assemble.
Once the quinoa is chilled, add all your goodies. We’ve got canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed, chopped pistachios, crumbled feta cheese, diced cucumber, and minced red onion.
Plus lots of chopped fresh herbs including parsley and mint. SO GOOD.
Step 3: Make the Lemon Dressing.
Last step is to whisk up a simple Lemon Dressing to dress the salad with. To a small mixing bowl, or to a mason jar with a lid, add equal parts lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, plus with a drizzle of honey, and pinches of salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to combine.
Step 4: Dress the salad.
Drizzle however much of the lemon dressing you’d like over the quinoa salad then toss to combine — you do NOT need to add all the dressing! Serve right away or stash in the refrigerator for later!
How to Store
Store the dressed salad in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can store it in the big mixing bowl with a lid, or scoop into individual size storage containers. This salad also makes great mason jar salads! Scoop into wide-mouth mason jars then grab and go!
I hope you love this simple yet seriously stunning quinoa salad from Miss Jennifer Aniston herself! Enjoy!
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Italian Quinoa Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad Pasta
- Fruit Salad Recipe for a Crowd
- Berry Quinoa Chicken Salad
- Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Chickpea “Chicken” Salad
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Italian Sub Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, minced
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 4oz
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Lemon Dressing:
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, ~3-4 lemons
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
For the Lemon Dressing:
- Add ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid, or small bowl, then shake or whisk to combine.
For the Salad:
- Add chicken or vegetable stock to a small saucepan over high heat then bring to a boil. Add quinoa then turn heat down to low, place a lid on top, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth has been absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork then scoop into a storage container or large mixing bowl to cool. Once cool, cover then refrigerate until chilled. Can be made a day or two ahead of time.
- Add chilled quinoa to a large mixing bowl then add remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing (do not need to use all if you don't want to!) then toss to combine and serve, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Be sure to purchase quinoa that’s labeled “pre-rinsed”. I like Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa.
- The quinoa is best cooked a day ahead of time so it’s chilled and ready to be mixed with the rest of the salad ingredients on the day you want to eat.
- Nutritional information includes the entire Lemon Dressing recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Did you know you got Jennifer Aniston’s salad wrong? The wrong salad is actually being spread by people on social media partly do to your salad post. Jennifer’s was a cobb salad. She posted On someone’s version of this salad saying that This was not the salad she ate on the set of friends. Hers was a chicken, avocado, blue cheese cobb salad
Yep! As I mentioned in the post copy, the cobb salad is what she ate on set everyday during the filming of Friends. This is not that salad. :)
Any idea how many calories are in one cup of this salad?
Hi Lucy! I recommend the MyFitnessPal website/app if you need that information!
I made this today for a picnic and HOLY YUMM. I used some sheeps feta from Trader Joe’s and extra pistachios. Definitely a new favorite.
LOVE!! So glad you enjoyed, Kayla!
Any favorite swaps for chickpeas? Cannellini maybe? I’m just not a fan of chickpeas.
Hi Megan! You could try cannellini beans or black beans, even!
I replaced the chickpeas (also not a fan) with quartered cherry tomatoes. Delicious!
Oh wow, this salad is genuinely amazing. I never thought I could like quinoa and I absolutely LOVED this. So much flavor.
I did swap out the chickpeas for cannellini and it was a dream. I’m going to be eating it all week!
This salad is amazing. Flavor explosion! Filling and summery. Perfect leftovers, too!
SO glad you loved it, Katie!! Thanks so much for your review! :)
I made this on Sunday and have been eating it for lunch every day this week. It’s amazing! I hung out with a friend today and she mentioned that your recipes are still her very favorite. (I told her about you 7 years ago.) I asked her if she tried this salad yet and she said she hadn’t, but her sister has already made it twice! Thanks for all the recipes.
Oh my gosh, Courtney, I am blushing. Thank you so much for letting me know this – I am so thrilled you and your friends are still loving the recipes after all these years!! <3 <3 <3
Would you consider doing a post about how you got into lifting weights – your routine, tips, etc?
Hi Kelly! I reached out to a friend of mine who is a personal trainer. We workout together twice a week and usually focus on legs one day and arms the other, plus cardio/conditioning at the end of each session. Unfortunately I have no self discipline when it comes to lifting weights at home by myself, which is why this arrangement works out best for me! Feel free to email me with any other ?s! kristin@iowagirleats.com
About how many cups does this make? What would be a good serving size for this salad? Half a cup?
Hi Cindy! I would say a good serving size is 1 cup – it depends on how hungry you are though! :)
This is soooo full of flavor. It will be my go to this summer!
I’m so glad you loved it, Lynda! And, same!
Yum!! I just made this with bulgur since I’m not gluten free, and it’s delicious. It’s going to be my lunch this week! Thanks!
Woo!! I bet it was so delicious with the bulgur. :)
I made this last night for dinner (and leftovers!) and it was sooooo good! I had dill and some really sweet tomatoes so threw those in too and it was so fresh and delicious!
I’m so so glad you loved it, Jenny!! The dill addition especially sounds delicious!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Is there another herb that I could substitute for the mint that would go well in this salad? I’m not super fond of mint in salads.
You could do basil or a little dill if you like that flavor!
I’m not fond of mint either unless it’s in a Mojito! ;) I just doubled the parsley and omitted the mint.
This is so delicious. I just love having this type of salad in my fridge for easy, healthy lunches!
So glad you were able to customize it to your tastes, Andi! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
We elder millennials are basically a hive mind now, but even so you posted this at the perfect time because I said to my husband yesterday that I NEED this salad in my life but couldn’t find the tiktok (on Instagram bc I’m old).
I am *cackling* at this comment because I relate so hard. We are a special breed. ???????????????? So glad this recipe found its way to you at the right time!
On the vegan feta thing: I’ve seen recipes for making “feta” out of tofu but haven’t tried it yet myself. That would add even more protein to the salad.
Yes! Crumbled extra firm tofu marinated in some of the dressing maybe with a pinch of dried herbs could be awesome in here!