Disclosure: This recipe for Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad, with cucumbers and feta, is inspired by the viral TikTok recipe known as the “Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad“. It is a fantastic make ahead lunch or dinner on a warm spring or summer day!
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A couple of years ago I kept seeing a salad known as the “Jennifer Aniston Salad”. The recipe went viral on TikTok and some people originally sharing the salad recipe claimed that it was the salad that Jennifer Aniston and her female castmates on the show Friends used to eat every day at lunch on set.
However, after the Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad made the rounds on the internet, Jennifer Aniston was asked in several interviews if she, in fact, did eat that quinoa salad every day on the set of friends.
Her response was that while this lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad, with pistachios, cucumbers, feta and fresh herbs, sounded amazing, she and her castmates did not eat that salad.
As told by Jennifer Aniston herself, the salad they DID eat every day for ten years on the set of Friends was basically a cobb salad with iceberg lettuce, grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, salami, pecorino cheese and Italian dressing.
So where did the idea come from that Jennifer Aniston’s “ideal salad” was one with quinoa, feta and cucumbers?
Well, after much sleuthing, I found that way back in 2015, Jennifer Anistin did an Instagram takeover for the brand Living Proof. During that Instagram takeover, she gave followers an inside peek at her day-to-day life, including some of the things she ate for breakfast and lunch, her workout routine for the day and a cute pic of her dog.
During that Instagram takeover, she shared a picture of her lunch and wrote “My perfect salad,” which was a salad of bulgar wheat, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, and pistachios, which is basically a take on tabbouleh.
This Chickpea Quinoa Salad has become so popular that if you search the interwebs for “Jennifer Aniston’s famous salad recipe” it’s this version that comes up.
Even though Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and Courtney Cox did not really eat this Chickpea Quinoa Salad every day for lunch on the set of Friends, it is Jennifer Aniston’s “perfect salad” and we CANNOT get enough of it!
I mean just like the infamous Rachel Green haircuts, if Jennifer Aniston does it, we ALL do it. 
Not only is this salad recipe super light and refreshing, yet completely satisfying, the entire family loves it and it can be made in advance, which means it is a perfect make ahead lunch.
In fact, we will make a big batch of this salad and store it in mason jars for quick grab and go lunches. We’ve even packed this salad and taken it in our cooler for picnics or healthy road trip food.
We can confidently say this viral recipe is definitely worth ALL the hype and will become your new favorite lunch recipe!
Helpful Tips and Information:
Is the Jennifer Aniston Salad Healthy?
We would definitely consider this Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad healthy since it is packed with good for you ingredients like nutrient dense quinoa, protein packed garbanzo beans, refreshing cucumbers and nutty pistachios, which are also a good source of protein and healthy fats.
Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad Calories:
Nutritional information will vary depending on brands used, but this salad serves six people and is approximately 390 calories per serving.
Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Quinoa – In Jen’s Instagram post she said she used bulgur wheat in the salad, however, we prefer quinoa. If using bulgur wheat, cook the bulgar according to package directions to yield 3 cups of cooked bulgur wheat.
- Vegetable stock – We used vegetable stock to cook the quinoa and keep this recipe vegetarian, however, you could use chicken stock or water.
- Chickpeas – Sometimes we used drained and rinsed canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans and sometimes we soak and cook dried chickpeas for this recipe.
- Mini Cucumbers – Again, we personally prefer the taste and texture of mini cucumbers, but one regular cucumber or half of a large English cucumber will work too.
- Red Onion – We used red onion like Jen uses, but if we have them on hand, we prefer minced shallots for a milder flavor.
- Fresh Mint and Parsley – Do not try to substitute dried herbs here, this salad needs fresh herbs! ½ cup of fresh mint and parsley is approximately 1 (.5-ounce) clamshell.
- Pistachios – Pistachios add fantastic texture, flavor and healthy fats to this salad. If you need a substitute, chopped whole almonds also work well.
- Feta – Creamy, tangy feta finishes this salad off. For a substitute you could use crumbled goat cheese. Omit for vegan or dairy free recipe. Alternatively a vegan or dairy free cheese substitute may be used.
Jennifer Aniston Salad Dressing:
The dressing for this quinoa salad is a simple lemon vinaigrette with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, honey, salt and black pepper.
If you like this salad, then you will love these other salad recipes:
Blackberry Goat Cheese Salad with Blackberry Jam Vinaigrette – Savor the lingering flavors of summer with this fresh, seasonal salad recipe! This Blackberry Salad with Blackberry Jam Vinaigrette is a great side dish for backyard barbecues or a quick lunch!
Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad – This hearty vegetarian salad recipe, Blueberry Peach Quinoa Salad, celebrates the fresh flavors of summer and is a great lunch or dinner idea!
Spinach Berry Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing – This salad is a festive and delicious dinner side dish recipe, perfect to celebrate the fresh flavors of summer!
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Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad
This lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad, with cucumbers and feta, is inspired by the viral TikTok recipe known as the Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad. It is a fantastic make ahead lunch or dinner on a warm spring or summer day!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa*
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 mini cucumbers, peeled and diced
- ½ cup red onion, minced**
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped
- 1 (5 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese***
- --
- For the Lemon Dressing:
- 4 lemons, juiced and zested
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under running water for at least 30 seconds, drain well.
- In a medium sized saucepan over high heat, stir together the rinsed quinoa and vegetable stock. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let simmer for 12-15 minutes or until all the broth has been absorbed.
- Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Allow quinoa to cool slightly before adding additional ingredients.
- Once cooled, add chickpeas, cucumbers, red onion, parsley, mint, pistachios and feta to the bowl with the quinoa.
- Meanwhile, to make the lemon vinaigrette, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. With the lid on, shake dressing ingredients vigorously until well combined.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss everything together.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Notes
*PLEASE SEE THE "HELPFUL TIPS AND INFORMATION" SECTION ABOVE FOR ADDITIONAL RECIPE NOTES.
*3 cups of cooked bulgur wheat can be substituted.
**For lighter flavor, substitute red onion with one large minced shallot.
***Omit cheese for vegan or dairy free recipe.
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