Jennifer Aniston Salad
A refreshing high-protein salad with fluffy quinoa, fresh herbs and lemon dressing. This viral salad was rumored to have been a favorite of Jennifer Aniston's on the set of Friends. While this turned out not to be true, this salad is still incredible!
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Equipment
- small saucepot
Ingredients
Fluffy Quinoa
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
Salad Base
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained well-rinsed
- cooked quinoa see above; or sub 2 cups of any cooked grain of choice
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion pickled onion is delicious too!
- 1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios chop them if you like
- 1 English cucumber chopped, or 3-4 sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup vegan feta crumbles we use Violife or Follow Your Heart
Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Fluffy Quinoa
- Rinse quinoa: Place dry quinoa into a fine mesh sieve and thoroughly rinse under cold water, agitating the grains with your hand for a minute. This is a crucial step if you want fluffy (not gummy) quinoa! Shake out the excess water.
- Cook quinoa: Add 1 cup water or vegetable broth to a small sauce pot. Add in quinoa and stir. Heat over medium-high until the mixture comes up to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. (Note: You can also cook quinoa in a rice cooker.)
- Let rest: Remove the pot from the heat but leave the lid on. Allow the quinoa to sit, covered, for another 10 minutes to finish absorbing all the liquid. Then use a fork to gently fluff it up. Allow the quinoa to cool slightly while you prep the rest of the salad.
Make the Salad Dressing
- Whisk together all ingredients for the salad dressing. (Or add to a jar with a lid and shake together.) Taste and adjust salt to preference.
Make the Salad Base
- Cucumber prep tip: If you think you may have leftovers and you are using an English cucumber, I recommend removing the seeds. Simply cut the cucumber in half vertically, then use a spoon to scoop the seeds out before chopping the rest of the cucumber. The seeds hold a lot of extra moisture; removing them will help prevent leftovers from getting soggy.
- Add ingredients: To a large salad bowl add chickpeas, cooked quinoa, red onion, pistachios, chopped cucumbers, chopped parsley, chopped mint, and vegan feta.
- Dress the salad: Pour on the salad dressing and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Notes
- Onion prep tip: If you're sensitive to the flavor of raw onion, it can be helpful to soak the diced onion in ice water for about 10 minutes to mellow out its flavor. Then thoroughly rinse it in a sieve and shake or pat dry.
- Nuts: If you're not a fan of pistachios, feel free to sub other nuts or seeds. Slivered toasted almonds are another favorite of mine. Sunflower seeds are delicious as well.
- Grains: This salad is also delicious made with cooked bulgur wheat, farro, or even wild rice.
- Beans: White beans or canned lentils are also tasty in this salad if you're not a chickpea lover.
- Herbs: Feel free to sub your own blend of herbs. Sometimes I will swap out the mint for fresh basil or dill.
- Vegan Feta: Depending on the brand, sometimes plant-based feta can get a little soggy when mixed with the dressing. If you're making the salad ahead of time, you might want to wait to add the feta right before serving.
The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.