Jennifer Aniston Salad

The famous Jennifer Aniston Salad is a hearty, flavorful salad recipe made with a base of quinoa and chickpeas, and loaded with cucumber, red onion, fresh herbs, tangy feta, chopped pistachios, and tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.

This Jennifer Aniston Salad went viral a few years ago, and it’s easy to see why! While it’s not actually the salad Jennifer Aniston ate every day on the set of Friends, it’s inspired by a salad she once shared as one of her favorites. It’s fresh, filling, and so good!

To make this salad a well-rounded meal, I like to serve it with some grilled chicken, like this honey mustard grilled chicken or this grilled chimichurri chicken.

Ingredients Needed

You will fall in love with the taste and texture of this salad. I love it so much, and so do my kids. From the tasty vinaigrette to the crisp cucumber, fresh herbs, and crunch from pistachios, every bite gets better than the last. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.

• Quinoa: This protein-packed, gluten-free grain makes this dish filling and satisfying. You can also use cooked bulgur wheat instead of quinoa. The original viral version used bulgur, but I prefer quinoa because it’s gluten-free.
• Chickpeas: A great source of plant-based protein in this vegetarian salad. Canned will work just fine.
• Cucumber: I recommend English cucumbers because they are sweeter and contain very few seeds.
• Red onion: Adds color and a delicious depth of flavor.
• Herbs: A combination of fresh parsley, mint leaves, and dill really elevates this dish.
• Pistachios: Use roasted, shelled pistachios for the best flavor and a nice crunch.
• Cheese: Creamy feta cheese adds tang, and is a great complement to the other flavors in the salad.
• Salt & pepper
• For the dressing: The homemade vinaigrette is a simple mix of lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, & pepper.

How To Make Jennifer Aniston Salad

Below is an overview and tips on how to make this salad perfectly every time.

1️⃣ Chop the veggies and cook quinoa

Prepare and chop all the ingredients. Cook the quinoa and get ready to set up the salad.

✏️ I would start with the quinoa first, and while that’s cooking, chop and get the veggies ready. You can also cook the quinoa the day before.

✏️ Chop the veggies small and try to chop them the same size.

2️⃣ Assemble the bowl and make the dressing

To a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, and finely chopped fresh herbs. To a small jar, add all the dressing ingredients and shake to emulsify.

✏️ Consider making the dressing the day before and storing it in the fridge until ready to use.

3️⃣ Pour dressing over the salad

Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss to combine.

4️⃣ Garnish and Serve

Top with the pistachios and feta cheese and season to your taste, if needed.

✏️ You can use other crumbly cheese instead of feta cheese. Some have suggested adding bacon bits to this salad. So that’s also an option.

Possible Variations

Salads like this one are easy to customize to your taste preference and what you have available. Here are some options if you would like to change it up.

• Add greens: You can use this recipe as a topper over baby spinach leaves, mixed greens, or chopped romaine. Or you could simply mix in a handful of chopped greens to this salad.
• Change up the grain: Many recipes for the Jennifer Aniston salad use bulgur instead of quinoa. It’s similar to quinoa, but it has less protein, and it is not gluten-free.
• Cheese: Feel free to swap the feta cheese with goat cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola cheese, Cotija, or shredded mozzarella.
• Nuts: If you don’t have roasted pistachios on hand, try almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
• More protein: Add grilled chicken or shrimp for a boost in protein!

Storage Recommendations

• Storing: This salad will keep well for about 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing.
• Make ahead: You can chop the salad and make the dressing the day before, along with cooking the quinoa, then assemble when ready to serve. If you’re making this salad ahead of time, keep the pistachios separate and add them just before serving so they stay nice and crunchy.

More Salad Recipes

• Grilled Chicken Apple Spinach Salad
• Italian Kale Salad Jar
• Big Mac Salad
• Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad
• Healthy Chicken Taco Salad
• Chickpea and Feta Salad
• Chicken Arugula Salad

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Thanks so much for being here and cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and a ⭐️ rating below.