Jennifer Aniston Salad

I recently stumbled upon a dish that Jennifer Aniston once described as her “perfect salad.” It is a riff on a tabbouleh. The Jennifer Aniston Salad is fresh, crunchy, healthy, and packed with plant-based protein.

The salad Jen shared on Instagram was bulgur wheat-based but since bulgur isn’t gluten free, some people swapped it with cooked quinoa instead. Quinoa is a nutrient-dense seed, not a grain, and is a great source of plant-based protein, minerals, and antioxidants.

While Jen didn’t mention a specific dressing in her Instagram post, it is often made as a simple combination of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, plus a drizzle of honey brightens up the whole dish.

Variations

• Cheese swap. Swap feta cheese for crumbled goat cheese. Honey goat cheese would be divine in here!
• Nut swap. Use chopped roasted cashews, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds instead of pistachios.
• Add lettuce. Serve the salad over a bed of baby spinach, mixed greens, or chopped romaine.
• Add Veggies. Pump up the veggies by adding chopped celery, tomato, peppers, or carrots.
• Salty. Mix chopped kalamata or Italian green olives into the salad.
• Sweet. Add dried cranberries for a pop of sweet.

Be sure to purchase quinoa that’s labeled “pre-rinsed”.

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup dry quinoa [bulgur]
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 English cucumber, chopped
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 4oz
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Lemon Dressing:
1/2 cup lemon juice, ~3-4 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Lemon Dressing:
Add ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid, or small bowl, then shake or whisk to combine.

For the Salad:
Add chicken or vegetable stock to a small saucepan over high heat then bring to a boil. Add quinoa then turn heat down to low, place a lid on top, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth has been absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork then scoop into a storage container or large mixing bowl to cool. Once cool, cover then refrigerate until chilled. Can be made a day or two ahead of time.

Add chilled quinoa to a large mixing bowl then add remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing (do not need to use all if you don't want to!) then toss to combine and serve, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Calories: 363kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 602mg, Potassium: 406mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 723IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 150mg, Iron: 3mg

Servings: 8