Jennifer Aniston Salad (2024)

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This Jennifer Aniston salad features bulgur, fresh veggies, chickpeas, crumbled feta, and roasted pistachios, tossed through the best dressing ever. I could eat this salad every day!

Love salad recipes? Try my avocado chicken salad, wedge salad, or 7 layer salad.

Jennifer Aniston Salad (1)

Like Kim Kardashian’s famous chia pudding or Gigi Hadid pasta, The Jennifer Aniston salad has also took the internet by storm (look at me calling her Jen already…).

Ever since the actor revealed her lunch salad to the world, the recipe has gone viral over the internet. And because it is so quick and easy to make, everyone is obsessed with it!

If you aren’t aware of what this famous salad entails, it’s made up of bulgur, crunchy veggies, creamy feta, and a generous helping of pistachios and chickpeas.And because our beloved actress does not like sugar, the salad has no sweet elements.

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients (and substitutions)
  3. How to make a Jennifer Aniston salad
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Storage instructions
  6. More fresh salad recipes to try
  7. Jennifer Aniston Salad (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • Light yet filling. This salad is a perfect lunch recipe, especially if you’re a vegetarian! You won’t feel stuffed, yet it’ll keep you full for a long time.
  • Healthy and balanced. This salad is healthy and balanced with carbs from bulgur, healthy fats from pistachios, oil, and feta, proteins from chickpeas, vitamins, antioxidants, and veggie fibers.
  • Simple. Like wedge salad and chicken salad with grapes, this salad doesn’t require complicated appliances, cooking techniques, or long preparation times.
  • Tasty. Despite a simple vinaigrette, this salad wins all the brownie points for a fantastic taste.
  • Perfect for meal prep. You can simply prep the veggies and herbs and cook the wheat bulgur in advance. Once ready to eat, combine everything with the dressing and serve!
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Ingredients (and substitutions)

Besides the chickpeas and bulgar, everything else involves simple pantry staples to make. Here is what you’ll need:

  • Bulgur. It is parboiled cracked wheat, rife with nutrients. Start with uncooked bulgur. If you cannot find bulgur wheat, make this recipe with quinoa or even couscous.
  • Water. To cook bulgur.
  • Cucumber. Persian cucumbers add a nice crunch to the salad. Thinly slice your cucumber so it becomes evenly distributed.
  • Chickpeas (garbanzo beans). You’ll need one can of cooked chickpeas. Remember to drain and rinse them, before use. You can also make chickpeas from scratch if you’d prefer that or use roasted chickpeas instead.
  • Red onion. Finely diced. This adds a nice peppery element.
  • Fresh herbs. I use fresh parsley and mint for this salad. Chop your herbs finely so that they distribute well.
  • Pistachios. I like unsalted and roasted pistachios, but raw ones work just fine. Other nuts like almonds or seeds like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds will work.
  • Feta cheese. Every good salad needs a cheesy element, and this one uses feta. To keep this salad dairy-free, use a vegan feta.
  • Lemon juice. For the tangy vinaigrette. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible.
  • Extra virgin olive oil. To make the oil lemon juice vinaigrette.
  • Salt and black pepper. For the seasoning.

How to make a Jennifer Aniston salad

I’ve includedstep-by-step photosbelow to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to therecipe cardat the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Boil the bulgur. Add bulgur and water to a pot and allow it to boil. Simmer it covered for 10 minutes.

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Step 2- Make the dressing. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

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Step 3- Toss the salad and serve. Mix all the veggies, chickpeas, and cooked and drained bulgur in a large bowl. Top it off with pistachios and cheese, and drizzle with lemon dressing.

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Recipe tips and variations

  • Cook your bulgur in broth. Use chicken or vegetable stock instead of good old plain water for cooking your bulgur.
  • Customize it. This salad is easy to make, and also even easier to customize. Add your favorite veggies, seeds, nuts, legumes.
  • Soak onions. Soak chopped onions in cold water to remove the sharp onion flavor.
  • Cool bulgur before combining. Let the bulgur cool down before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. You don’t want a mushy, warm salad.
  • Add sweet elements. Add pomegranate or dried berries to the salad to balance off the savoriness.
  • Add more protein. While chickpeas are full of protein, feel free to increase the protein content by adding tofu pieces or your favorite meat (I love to quickly air fry some air fryer chicken breast, air fryer shrimp, or some air fryer steak!). For a flavor explosion, add some sliced smoked chicken breast.

Storage instructions

To store. This salad is excellent for meal prep. You can make it in bulk and portion it in airtight containers so that it lasts the whole week in the refrigerator!

To freeze. I don’t recommend freezing this salad! Serve fresh and devour!

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More fresh salad recipes to try

  • Kani salad– The famous Japanese steakhouse-style salad with crisp and creamy elements.
  • Steak salad– This is my family’s favorite dinner salad that is perfect during the warmer months.
  • Hot German potato saladYes, it’s a warm salad, and yes, it’s fabulous.
  • Asian chicken salad– Loaded with all the crispy and crunchy elements.

Jennifer Aniston Salad (7)

Jennifer Aniston Salad

5 from 142 votes

This Jennifer Aniston salad features bulgur, fresh veggies, chickpeas, crumbled feta, and roasted pistachios, tossed through the best dressing ever. Watch the video below to see how I make this in my kitchen!

Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 1 minute min

Cook: 12 minutes mins

Total: 13 minutes mins

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Video

Ingredients

  • 1 cup bulgur uncooked
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cucumber thinly sliced
  • 13 ounces chickpeas canned
  • 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup mint chopped
  • 1/3 cup parsley chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted pistachios chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled

Instructions

  • Place the bulgur in a small pot with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 10 min and set aside.

  • In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

  • In a salad bowl, combine cucumber, chickpeas, red onion, mint, and parsley.

  • Drain any excess water from the bulgur and combine it with the veggies in the salad bowl.

  • Sprinkle with pistachios and feta cheese, followed by the dressing, and serve immediately.

Notes

TO STORE. This salad is excellent for meal prep. You can make it in bulk and portion it in airtight containers so that it lasts the whole week in the refrigerator!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 413kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 13gFat: 17gSodium: 315mgPotassium: 601mgFiber: 15gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 665IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 4mgNET CARBS: 42g

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman Liew

Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Jennifer Aniston Salad (2024)

FAQs

Is the Jennifer Aniston salad healthy? ›

Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad (Famous Viral Recipe!)

Packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats … this lettuce-less salad is just as nutritious as it is delicious. Perfect for a healthy dinner, lunch, or meal prep!

What salad did Jennifer Aniston eat for 10 years? ›

The actual salad that she ate for 10 years while Friends was being filmed was actually a doctored up Cobb salad with shredded lettuce, chicken, egg whites, a small amount of garbanzo beans or chickpeas, bacon and a basic vinaigrette.

How many calories are in the Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

This recipe for the Jennifer Aniston salad is packed with nutrient-rich ingredients and it contains under 500 calories for a large meal-size salad. It is also completely gluten-free and vegetarian. Make it vegan and dairy free by omitting the cheese or using a dairy-free cheese.

Did Jennifer Aniston really eat the same salad every day on Friends? ›

It dates back to a 2010 Los Angeles Times interview with Courteney Cox where she says she, Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow ate lunch together every single day and ate the same salad every day. "We always had the same thing — a Cobb salad. But it wasn't really a Cobb salad.

What does Jennifer Aniston eat for lunch everyday? ›

Jennifer's meals always include a protein and vegetables.

When lunch comes around, she's hungry for something more substantial. "I'll usually have lunch around one or two, and it's usually some form of vegetables and a protein."

How many Weight Watchers points is the Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

once actress Jennifer Aniston gave fans a glimpse of her day when she took over her beauty company Living Proof's Instagram account and shared this salad as one of her faves well - we had to try it for ourselves! And I am honestly so happy with this salad. It's soooo good. 5 weight watchers points a serving.

What is the healthiest salad to eat everyday? ›

Best: Salad Loaded With Veggies

Add a mix of veggies to your salad to get more nutrition and flavor. Top those leafy greens with crunchy produce like carrots, cucumbers, or broccoli. Then add a punch of color from tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, or red onion.

What does Jennifer Aniston eat in the morning? ›

“When I wake up, I have warm lemon water and then I have a shake or avocado and eggs, which is one of my favorites,” Aniston says. “I sprinkle a little coconut oil on that. Sometimes I'll have a puffed millet cereal with a banana, or I'll do oatmeal with an egg white whipped in at the end.”

Is Jennifer Aniston salad low carb? ›

Jennifer Aniston's go-to lettuce-less salad boasts a nutritious blend of assorted vegetables, crunchy nuts, and hearty plant-based proteins to deliver a high-protein, low-carb meal that you can make in minutes.

What to pair with Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

Personally I think this quinoa and chickpea salad is totally satisfying on its own, but feel free to pair it with additional protein / healthy fats. Here are some ideas: Grilled chicken or Air Fried Chicken Breast. Roasted chicken.

How long does Jennifer Aniston salad last in the fridge? ›

Get Creative: Customize this Jennifer Aniston salad recipe and add or remove any ingredients your wish- swap the feta for your favorite dairy-free substitute to make this vegan! Storage: Salad can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 – 6 days.

Can you lose weight on the Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

Aniston's salad is low in calories, high in vitamins and nutrients, filling, and great for weight loss goals, according to Feder. "This salad recipe is very calorie friendly and is a complete meal," he says. "It contains healthy amounts of fats, and protein, and is low in carbohydrates.

What is the real Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

I just thought it was a delicious salad, perfectly low carb, and something I think my audience will love as well! I think that is a good reason! The real Jennifer Aniston salad is a riff on a Cobb salad and contains salami, chicken, turkey bacon, garbanzo beans, pecorino cheese, tomatoes, and Italian dressing.

Is quinoa good for you? ›

The Bottom Line. Quinoa is a great whole-grain source and has a high fiber content for optimal digestion, steady blood sugar and lower cholesterol, among other potential benefits. It is also an excellent grain option for people with celiac disease.

How much quinoa for Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

Salad
  1. 1 cup quinoa.
  2. 1 cup lite feta, crumbled.
  3. 2 baby cucumbers, chopped.
  4. 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
  5. 1/3 cup mint, chopped.
  6. 1/3 cup parsley, chopped.
  7. 1/2 red onion, diced.
  8. 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped.

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