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!
Pin this now to find it later
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
I made this today with grilled chicken thighs for lunch…delicious!! I definitely will be making it again!
Ooo, that sounds amazing, Melissa! So glad you enjoyed it. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Salad is so fresh tasting and amazing….I followed recipe exactly but made smaller…loved the mint!!!!! Definitely a keeper!
SO glad you enjoyed it, Darynn! The mint is one of my very favorite parts too. :)
I made this for my family last night and everyone loved it! I was anticipating a large amount of leftovers, as there are only 3 people in my family, but we ate all of it. I can’t wait to make this again. It is definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!
I’m thrilled to hear this, Sonya! SO glad it was a hit with the whole family!
I’ve made this salad a bunch of times now and it’s absolutely delicious! So happy to find something so healthy that tastes soooo good!! Thank you!!
I’m so so glad you love this recipe, Amanda! Totally agree – this recipe makes eating healthy both easy and fun!
Perfect refreshing summertime salad! It’s definitely a new go to!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
I’m so glad you loved it, Nichole! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
This is delicious!! Thank you for the recipe! and I have yummy recipes to put quinoa into LOL!!
Delicious! I forgot to get mint and used less lemon juice than called for, but this was delicious. I prefer the quinoa warm in it. Also, the onion, parsley, and shelled pistachios chopped up nicely in my food processor. Served with salmon.
looks wonderful! tastes even better!
Absolutely delicious!! Its my second time making it and its a keeper! My only suggestion is there’s too much dressing, I’d halve the dressing. Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it, Laura!! There’s a bolded note in direction number three in the recipe card that says you don’t need to add all the dressing – just as much as you like! :)
Would you be able to tell the difference between fresh lemon juice and bottled?
Hi Cristin! For this uncooked dish, I would use fresh. If you were adding bottled to a skillet/cooked dish, for example, that would be ok!
This was so good!!l so good and all the flavors come together so nicely! Love the lemony dressing and this is light but filling! Than you!!
I’m so glad you loved it, Holly! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Delicious salad! Delightful flavours , couldn’t wait to have more the next day for lunch. I would suggest keeping some pistachios aside if you are having leftovers to have that extra crunch. Definitely one of my favourites now! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so so glad you loved this recipe, Trennia!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
This salad was so easy and refreshing! I happened to have most of the ingredients on hand and whipped it up for a lunch. I did sub walnuts since I didn’t have pistachios, and used dill because I didn’t have mint handy. The dill didn’t distract and while I’m sure the mint would have been delicious, the dill wasn’t bad either! I’m looking forward to making this again and again!
LOVE the dill swap, Whit! So glad you were able to make it work with what you had on hand. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating, too!
I was JUST coming to the comments to see if anyone made this with dill! I have a huge bunch leftover from gyro night and thought it would work here, too!