Right here’s the way to make the viral Jennifer Aniston salad with quinoa or bulgur, cucumber, contemporary herbs, pistachios, chickpeas and feta all tossed in lemon juice and olive oil.
Given my love for salads, I simply needed to attempt Jennifer Aniston’s salad that went viral on TikTok!
Some sources say she ate the salad day-after-day for 10 years whereas filming the present Associates, however after a little analysis I discovered that that is truly a salad she shared whereas doing an Instagram takeover for the Dwelling Proof model. It’s not on Instagram, however you’ll be able to nonetheless discover it on the Manner Again Machine (aka the most effective web site for trying up previous content material). This publish was from 2015 and within the caption Aniston stated the salad, with bulgur, cucumbers, parsley, mint, crimson onion, chickpeas, feta cheese and pistachios was her “good salad.”
In accordance with an article within the Los Angeles Occasions, the salad she ate day by day on the set of Associates was a spruced up Cobb salad with turkey bacon and chickpeas, which I recreated with my protein Cobb salad.
Both means, after attempting Jen’s tabbouleh-inspired salad I can completely see why she (and the entire web) is obsessed. It’s not solely scrumptious and full of SO a lot taste, nevertheless it additionally has the proper quantity of protein, good carbs, wholesome fat, and veggies – all of the parts of a great meal-sized salad.
Jen’s authentic model of this salad requires bulgur wheat as the bottom, however once I went to make this salad for the primary time I couldn’t discover bulgur wheat anyplace, so I made a decision to make it with quinoa. It labored nice and this salad is definitely turning into a brand new staple in our home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It has all of the parts of a great meal-sized salad… protein, good carbs, wholesome fat, veggies and satisfaction issue!
- It’s gentle, flavorful and jam-packed with tons of contemporary herbs!
- Fast and straightforward to whip up – you solely want 10 elements (plus salt + pepper) and one bowl!
- It holds up properly within the fridge so it’s the proper meal prep recipe. Prep this over the weekend and have lunch able to go for the whole week!
Components Wanted
- quinoa – as a substitute of bulgur I used white quinoa as the bottom. Quinoa is an efficient supply of protein, excessive in fiber, wealthy in nutritional vitamins and minerals and naturally gluten-free. It’s additionally an entire protein, which suggests it has all 9 important amino acids together with lysine… a uncommon discover on the subject of plant-based meals.
- cucumber – provides a pleasant crunch! I personally like utilizing mini cucumbers as a result of they don’t have massive seeds.
- contemporary parsley – flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley each work properly on this recipe. Make sure that your bunch of parsley is washed and dried properly earlier than chopping it!
- contemporary mint – the addition of contemporary mint provides a lot taste! Once more, be sure your mint is washed and dried earlier than chopping it.
- crimson onion – the proper means so as to add a little bit of taste and extra crunch. You should use yellow onion if wanted.
- pistachios – roasted and salted. Provides some wholesome fats and extra protein to this salad.
- chickpeas – I used canned chickpeas (in any other case referred to as garbanzo beans) for ease, however in fact, you’ll be able to completely prepare dinner the chickpeas from scratch if desired. Freshly cooked beans are actually scrumptious when you have the time.
- feta cheese – this provides some wholesome fats and such a great taste to the salad so I wouldn’t suggest omitting it.
Recipe Substitutions & Notes
- Quinoa – I like this salad with quinoa, however you’ll be able to completely swap it with cooked bulgur wheat or farro as a substitute.
- Cheese – I wager goat cheese could be scrumptious! It’s also possible to skip the cheese altogether or use a dairy-free feta cheese if you need the salad to be vegan.
- Avocado – Wish to add just a little extra creaminess and wholesome fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado.
- Pistachios – Be happy to swap the pistachios with one other nut. I wager roasted and salted almonds could be scrumptious. In the event you want this salad to be nut-free, you’ll be able to completely swap the nuts for roasted sunflower seeds.
- Protein – You possibly can completely swap the chickpeas with a distinct sort of protein and even add extra protein to this salad. I like serving the salad alongside my apple cider vinegar hen or air fryer hen breast on high. It could even be scrumptious with baked tofu, grilled shrimp or air fryer salmon.
The best way to Make
Step 1: To start out, prepare dinner your quinoa in response to the package deal (it’s also possible to comply with my full tutorial on the way to prepare dinner quinoa) instructions till it has softened. Drain out any extra water, if wanted.
Step 2: In a big bowl, mix cooked quinoa, cucumbers, parsley, mint, crimson onion, pistachios, chickpeas, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Style and add extra salt or pepper if needed.
The best way to Retailer
I like meal prepping this salad for lunches all through the week! It shops so properly and even tastes higher the subsequent day because the elements have time to absorb extra of the flavors. To retailer, place leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Extra Salad Recipes
Make sure to take a look at all of my quinoa recipes in addition to the complete assortment of salad recipes on EBF!
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