The Jennifer Aniston salad is here! The perfect blend of flavor and freshness and named after the famous Friends star, this salad lives up to its hype. If you haven’t tried it yet, but heard of it, now’s your chance to dive in and make this easy salad recipe for yourself. It's fresh , filling , and fantastic!
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What is Jennifer Aniston Salad
Jennifer Aniston is famous for her role on Friends, an American sitcom that ran throughout the 90s. It has a huge popular following, and chances are you know at least one person who is a true fan of the series.
According to co-stars on set, Jennifer Aniston ate the same salad on set for the 10 years they filmed Friends. She would later elaborate in interviews what makes the perfect salad and mentioned “bulgur, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta cheese and pistachios.”
Though this salad may not be the exact salad she ate on the Friends set, it features a well-balanced, fresh, and overall healthy recipe that everyone loves once they try it.
What makes this salad so famous
Jennifer Aniston is famous for her role on Friends and movies she starred in. It’s safe to say she’s a Hollywood It Girl.
Even now, many years after the height of the Friends popularity, Jennifer Aniston is gorgeous, in great shape, and aging gracefully. This means any salad attached to her name is going to be quite famous.
And, the salad is actually quite delicious. It features a healthy mix of proteins, fiber, and fats with a fresh taste. It is perfect for lunch or dinner and will not leave you wanting for more.
Jennifer Aniston Salad Ingredients
For the Jennifer Aniston salad, you’ll need a lot of fresh ingredients and herbs, but you should be able to find most of them at your local store with no issue. Here’s what you’ll want to gather:
- Quinoa or bulgur wheat - We use either quinoa or bulgur, though the traditional version uses bulgur .
- Water - You’ll need water to cook quinoa or cook the bulgur.
- Cucumber - You can use your preferred variety of cucumber, but we like using an English cucumber..
- Parsley - For added flavor, we add fresh parsley to the salad, though you could add other fresh herbs if you like to partially change the flavor.
- Mint - Fresh mint gives the salad a nice fresh flavor.
- Red onion - You could use another type of onion, but we find red onion has the best flavor.
- Roasted and salted pistachios - You can use whole or previously chopped, but you will want to chop them for the recipe.
- Chickpeas - You will want to drain the garbanzo beans or chickpeas before using.
- Lemons - You will want to juice the lemons or use about 4 to 5 Tablespoons.
- Extra virgin olive oil - You could sub in regular olive oil if you prefer.
- Sea salt and ground pepper - Both of these ingredients are to taste.
- Crumbled feta cheese - You could use another hard, crumbly cheese if you prefer or look for If you aren’t a fan of feta, you could swap in goat cheese or a Mexican Cotija cheese. You can totally veganize this salad by using some vegan feta.
How to make Jennifer Aniston Salad
When you want to make the best version of the Jennifer Aniston salad, you’ll want to follow these easy steps:
- First, put the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and then rinse under running water for a few minutes. This removes the debris and extra starch that can make them less fluffy.
- Next, add water and the rinsed quinoa in the inner pot of your Instant Pot.
- Once the grains are inside, cover and secure the lid. Before starting, make sure the valve is set to “sealing.” Finally, set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute on high pressure.
- When the time is up, allow a natural release of pressure for about 10 minutes before opening the lid.
- Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and then transfer to a large bowl.
- Next, stir together the cooked quinoa, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and feta.
- Once mixed, serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving.
You can store the Jennifer Aniston salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Pro tips and tricks
This Jennifer Aniston salad recipe is pretty straight forward, but you can use these simple tips and tricks to make the best salad possible:
- Chill the salad for about an hour before serving
- Serve the salad with your favorite bread, rolls, or flatbreads
- Try changing the ingredients around for a slightly different flavor or to better match your diet needs
How do you cook bulgur wheat?
Cook the bulgur wheat with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan according to the instructions on the bulgur package. If you would want to use your favorite instant pot, cook 1 cup bulgur wheat and 1 cup of water in your instant pot for around 6 minutes. Use a natural release of pressure for about 10 minutes before opening the lid.
FAQs
When you make Jennifer Aniston salad, you can serve it right away. We find it often tastes best though if you chill it for about an hour before serving.
You can serve the salad with our fresh ciabatta rolls recipe, our whole wheat dinner rolls, or delicious Italian bread. Or you could use fresh naan or other flatbreads to scoop up the salad.
When you make this Jennifer Aniston salad recipe, you can make the following substitutions for a bit of variety or to help fit your dietary needs:
-Use bulgur instead of quinoa
-Try to vary the cucumbers using either Persian or long English cucumbers
-Try different fresh herbs to give the salad a unique flavor
-Use pistachios, almonds, or just about any nut or seed you like for a different flavor experience
-To make it vegan, skip the feta cheese or use a vegan equivalent
Jennifer Aniston salad is best fresh or after chilling for about an hour in the fridge, but that does not mean you can’t store it for a quick lunch or dinner. To store, place it in airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Other easy salads to try
Salads, both traditional and pasta, make for great meals, starters, and sides. If you love them as much as we do, you should check out some of our other favorites here:
Let us know what you think
If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
The Jennifer Aniston Salad
The Jennifer Aniston salad is here! The perfect blend of flavor and freshness and named after the famous Friends star, this salad lives up to its hype. If you haven’t tried it yet, but heard of it, now’s your chance to dive in and make this easy salad recipe for yourself.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ⅓ 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 4-5 Tablespoons)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Put the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running water for a few minutes
- Add water and rinsed Quinoa in the inner pot of the instant pot.
- Cover and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing.” Set the
manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute on high pressure. When time is up, open the pressure cooker with the Natural pressure release
approximately 10 min. - Open the lid. Fluff quinoa with a fork
- 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 3 days in the fridge.
Notes
How do you cook bulgur wheat?
Cook the bulgur wheat with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan according to the instructions on the bulgur package. If you would want to use your favorite instant pot, cook 1 cup bulgur wheat and 1 cup of water in your instant pot for around 6 minutes. Use a natural release of pressure for about 10 minutes before opening the lid.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Goya Garbanzos - Low Sodium Organic Chick Peas (6 Pack, Total of 93oz) -
Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 50.7 Ounce Recycled rPET Bottle (Packaging May Vary) -
Wonderful Pistachios, No Shells, Roasted and Salted Nuts, 12 Ounce Resealable Bag, Good Source of Protein, Gluten Free, On-the Go-Snack -
truRoots Organic Quinoa 100% Whole Grain Premium Quality, 4 lbs (Pack of 2)
About Soniya
Hello, I am Soniya, the cofounder of The Belly Rules The Mind. Originally from Mumbai, India, I am settled in Virginia US with my husband.
I am a mother of 2 energetic boys, referred to as R2 (15-year-old) and R3 (10-year-old) on the blog. In case you are wondering who is R1, well that is my husband.
My hubby and I were born in Mumbai, India, where we were spoiled by the wealth of food choices available to us. We could enjoy everything from yummy street food to multi-cuisine restaurants and we became very picky about what we like and what we don't. Read more
Kcarrie
Thursday 20th of October 2022
Love this salad! I also add some lemon zest so the brightness lasts longer if making it for my week day lunches.
Jennifer
Tuesday 20th of September 2022
Made it yesterday and it was super easy and so delicious.. can't wait to make it again with bulgar wheat.
Sherri
Monday 19th of September 2022
Absolutely in love with this recipe!
Mona
Monday 19th of September 2022
This is so delicious 😋 can't wait to make it again!