Jennifer Aniston Salad Recipe + 3 Variations (for two) | Our Table 4 2 (2024)

Here is how to make the original Jennifer Aniston’s Salad with quinoa or bulgar, cucumber, fresh herbs, pistachios, chickpeas and feta cheese all tossed in a simple lemon and olive oil dressing. This Jennifer Aniston Salad recipe plus 3 variations are so versatile they lend to a variety of salad mix-ins combinations. So easy and comes together in the time it takes to cook the quinoa.

Recently, I had a dinner party with friends, when Mary Kay asked, “what can I bring?” My answer, “bring a favorite salad!”

Enter the Jennifer Aniston salad recipe (from the TV hit series Friends) that went viral and still is creating buzz. Mary Kay’s salad a riff off of Jen’s “original” - tossing together orzo, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, spinach, cucumber, feta tossed in a lemon and olive oil dressing.

Intrigued I needed to make and try Jen’s tabbouleh-inspired salad.

I now get what all the fuss is about. It’s not only delicious and packed with SO much flavor, but it also has the perfect amount of protein, smart carbs, healthy fats, and veggies – all the components of a good meal-sized salad.

Bottom line, variations of this recipe are simple to whip together yet hearty enough to be the meal.

In the kitchen I have been playing around recreating the “original” version plus three other grain and chickpea variations. All are on repeat this summer! And let’s not forget that each is perfectly portioned to make two hearty servings.

If you like serving salads you have to try Our Table 4 2’s watermelon and grilled halloumi or grilled chicken cobb salad. Both come together quickly and make a great weeknight dinner for two.

Jennifer Aniston Salad Recipe Ingredients

Jen’s original version of this salad calls for bulgur wheat as the base, but I like to make this with a quick cooking white quinoa. Chop up fresh herbs, open a can of chickpeas, add chopped cucumber and red onion, along with toasted and salted pistachios, and feta. The finishing touch is to toss it all together in a bright citrusy lemon and olive oil dressing. Crazy fast, easy, and delicious.

Here's what you will need for the Jennifer Aniston’s salad from Friends that went viral:

See recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

3 Variations

Part of the fun of this celebrity grain and chickpea inspired salad is its versatility. For the salad base use quinoa, bulgur, farro or orzo as the grain plus canned chickpeas. The dressing of lemon juice and olive oil I use on all variations.

Let’s get started making your own Jen salad riffs:

Mexican-ish Variation:

• sweet peppers – I like to buy the mini sweet peppers, chop or slice to add a tangy and sweet flavor with crunch.
• corn – cookingcorn on the cobin themicrowavecouldn't be easier.Microwavewith the husks on for 4 minutes, then cut off the bottom, slip off the husks, and that’s it. To remove the kernels, stand the cob upright inside a bowl, then slice down along sides of cob using a sharp knife. You can also use frozen corn in this recipe.
• avocado
• cherry tomatoes
• cilantro – if you want to mix in another herb, I recommend chives.
• red onion
• roasted and salted pistachios
• feta

Greek-ish Variation:

• green pepper
• cherry tomatoes
• black olives
• fresh parsley – you can use flat leaf or curly parsley
• fresh oregano
• red onion
• roasted and salted pistachios
• feta

Mediterranean-ish Variation

• Arugula
• Spinach
• Cucumber
• Basil
• Green onion
• Toasted sliced almonds
• feta

Tips to make a Jennifer Aniston salad

Want to know the right ratio of grain with chickpea salad base to fresh herbs, nuts and vegetables for a Jennifer Aniston Salad Recipe? When creating your own version of Jen’s grain and chickpea salad here is what I have found to be the winning combination and makes enough to serve two people:

• ½ cup grains – consider using bulgar, quinoa, farro or even orzo
• 8 ounces chickpeas – this is half a can of chickpeas or often labeled as garbanzo beans.
• ½ cup of crunchy vegetables – some of my favorites include cucumber, bell pepper, sweet peppers or go wild and put in a mix of crunchy vegetable bites.
• 2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of onion – With the grains and fresh herbs, the onion brings a sharp flavor and a bit of crunch.
• ¼ cup of cheese – feta really works the best bringing a tangy, rich and slightly salty flavor to the salad.
• ½ cup of fresh herbs – the fresh herbs are a big flavor contributor. Have fun and put in a mix like mint + parsley, mint + oregano, cilantro + chives.
• ¼ cup of toasted and salted nuts – while Jen’s salad uses pistachios (which can be expensive), I have found sliced almonds, sun flower seeds or even pepitas as great add-ins.

Make ahead and store

The grain and chickpea salad base is perfect to make ahead. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight. Doing this means the remaining salad ingredients will not wilt from the heat of the cooked grain.

You can toss all your salad ingredients (holding back the lemon dressing and the nuts) in a medium sized bowl, and store covered in the refrigerator. Store your undressed salad for no more than 5 days – after which ingredients will begin to lose their fresh taste and crisp texture.

Remove the chilled salad from the refrigerator, add your choice of nut mixture and toss with the dressing. This will allow enough time for the yummy lemon dressing to flavor the grains and chickpeas. A dressed salad can be set out at room temperature for up to 3 hours and in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Looking for other salads and sides recipes perfectly portioned for two? Try these:

Pairing

While this salad has all the components of a good meal-sized salad, these are my favorite dishes to serve with the Jennifer Aniston Salad: