Jennifer Aniston Salad
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Here’s how to make the viral Jennifer Aniston salad with quinoa or bulgur, cucumber, fresh herbs, pistachios, chickpeas and feta all tossed in lemon juice and olive oil.
Given my love for salads, I just had to try Jennifer Aniston’s salad that went viral on TikTok!
Some sources say she ate the salad every day for 10 years while filming the show Friends, but after a little research I found that this is actually a salad she shared while doing an Instagram takeover for the Living Proof brand. It’s no longer on Instagram, but you can still find it on the Way Back Machine (aka the best site for looking up old content). This post was from 2015 and in the caption Aniston said the salad, with bulgur, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, chickpeas, feta cheese and pistachios was her “perfect salad.”
According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the salad she ate daily on the set of Friends was a spruced up Cobb salad with turkey bacon and chickpeas, which I recreated with my protein Cobb salad.
Either way, after trying Jen’s tabbouleh-inspired salad I can totally see why she (and the whole internet) is in love. It’s not only delicious and packed with SO much flavor, but it also has the perfect amount of protein, smart carbs, healthy fats, and veggies – all the components of a good meal-sized salad.
Jen’s original version of this salad calls for bulgur wheat as the base, but when I went to make this salad for the first time I couldn’t find bulgur wheat anywhere, so I decided to make it with quinoa. It worked great and this salad is easily becoming a new staple in our house.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It has all the components of a good meal-sized salad… protein, smart carbs, healthy fats, veggies and satisfaction factor!
- It’s light, flavorful and jam-packed with tons of fresh herbs!
- Quick and easy to whip up – you only need 10 ingredients (plus salt + pepper) and one bowl!
- It holds up well in the fridge so it’s the perfect meal prep recipe. Prep this over the weekend and have lunch ready to go for the entire week!
Ingredients Needed
- quinoa – instead of bulgur I used white quinoa as the base. Quinoa is a good source of protein, high in fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals and naturally gluten-free. It’s also a complete protein, which means it has all nine essential amino acids including lysine… a rare find when it comes to plant-based foods.
- cucumber – adds a nice crunch! I personally like using mini cucumbers because they don’t have large seeds.
- fresh parsley – flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley both work well in this recipe. Make sure your bunch of parsley is washed and dried well before chopping it!
- fresh mint – the addition of fresh mint adds so much flavor! Again, make sure your mint is washed and dried before chopping it.
- red onion – the perfect way to add a bit of flavor and more crunch. You can use yellow onion if needed.
- pistachios – roasted and salted. Adds some healthy fat and more protein to this salad.
- chickpeas – I used canned chickpeas (otherwise known as garbanzo beans) for ease, but of course, you can totally cook the chickpeas from scratch if desired. Freshly cooked beans are really delicious if you have the time.
- feta cheese – this adds some healthy fat and such a good flavor to the salad so I wouldn’t recommend omitting it.
Recipe Substitutions & Notes
- Quinoa – I love this salad with quinoa, but you can totally swap it with cooked bulgur wheat or farro instead.
- Cheese – I bet goat cheese would be delicious! You can also skip the cheese altogether or use a dairy-free feta cheese if you want the salad to be vegan.
- Avocado – Want to add a little more creaminess and healthy fat to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado.
- Pistachios – Feel free to swap the pistachios with another nut. I bet roasted and salted almonds would be delicious. If you need this salad to be nut-free, you can totally swap the nuts for roasted sunflower seeds.
- Protein – You can totally swap the chickpeas with a different type of protein or even add more protein to this salad. I love serving the salad alongside my apple cider vinegar chicken or air fryer chicken breast on top. It would also be delicious with baked tofu, grilled shrimp or air fryer salmon.
How to Make
Step 1: To start, cook your quinoa according to the package (you can also follow my full tutorial on how to cook quinoa) directions until it has softened. Drain out any excess water, if needed.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
How to Store
I love meal prepping this salad for lunches throughout the week! It stores so well and even tastes better the next day as the ingredients have time to soak up more of the flavors. To store, place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Everything You Need to Make the Jennifer Aniston Salad
Pyrex Smart Essentials 3-Piece Prepware Mixing Bowl Set
Buy Now →
Le Creuset Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 3 Quart Saucepan, Medium
Buy Now →
Salad Servers, 12-inch Spoon and Fork Set
Buy Now →More Salad Recipes
- Couscous Salad
- Mediterranean Salmon Salad
- Kale Crunch Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Hearts of Palm Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Green Goddess Salad (Viral Recipe)
Be sure to check out all of my quinoa recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Jennifer Aniston Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa , or bulgar wheat
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup mint, chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 lemons, juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta.
- Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.
- Store salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Notes
- Quinoa: Feel free to use bulgur if desired. Add bulgur and water to a small pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Drain off any access water. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Cheese: Feel free to skip the feta altogether or use a dairy-free feta cheese if you want the salad to be vegan.
- Avocado: Want to add a little more creaminess and healthy fat to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado.
- Pistachios: Feel free to swap the pistachios with another nut. I bet roasted and salted almonds would be delicious. If you need this salad to be nut-free, you can totally swap the nuts for roasted sunflower seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
SO GOOD! Light and refreshing. I’m set for the entire week!
Thanks Daniela! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s a winner each and every time. Filling, nutritious, healthy and really tasty! Makes for great lunches through out the week.
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Chloee. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I branched outside of my cooking comfort level with this one and I am so happy I did! It was so healthy, yummy, and lasted me all week through work! It really filled me up and was such a satisfying lunch. I would love to know more salads like this to try in the future. The only cons for me was that it was rather expensive to start, but after you have all the packages of ingredients you can probably remake a lot and it’s dollar will stretch. I mean Jennifer Aniston is also a mega rich celeb so I understand it’s not gonna be penny pinching recipe. The other thing was that the prep was pretty intense from a beginner level (about 45 minutes of chopping), I couldn’t wait until all the chopping and juicing was over but when it was it was very delicious! Worth all of that though!
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lexi. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I love this salad. I add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with lemon juice and olive oil dressing.
So glad you love this salad, Amitabha! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
This salad is AMAZING. I switched out the quinoa for couscous, and feta for goat cheese. My boyfriend is the PICKIEST eater, and he loved and said he would have it again. It’s light, but filled with nutrients enough to keep you full.
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Samantha! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I’ve been eating this salad most weekdays now with a portion of some kind of protein all summer and it’s fantastic!
Is it possible to see a list of other good make-ahead salads that will last all week?
Hi Rachael – Yes, I have 2 blog posts that share a list of some great make ahead salads that will last you all week. Protein Salads and Mason Jar Salad Prep. Let me know if you give these a try and what you think, enjoy!
I just made this for lunch exactly as per your recipe. Really yummy. Thank you (from Switzerland), Brittany!
Hi Olivia! I am so happy that you are loving this recipe. Thank you for your review & star rating, I so appreciate you being here!
This was beautiful. Hubby is in love with it. I switched out the 1 cup of cucumber for a 1/2 cup of pickled cucumber the second time and it was even better. Might use both next time. Used almonds instead of pistachios too.
Ah YUM! I love that you both love this salad, Emme. Thank you for your review & star rating, I so appreciate you being here!
I loved this recipe, especially as a meal prep for lunch during a busy work week!!
Woo! So glad you loved this recipe, Brennan. Thanks for making it and for the review. I appreciate it!
This is my new go to recipe for lunch! So easy and is bright and flavorful! Added bonus that I grew mint and parsley this year and got to go to my garden to pick it for this beautiful recipe. Thank you!
Woo! So pumped to hear that you loved this recipe, Krystal. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it!