Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad (Printable)

A fresh quinoa salad with chickpeas, cucumber, feta, herbs, and toasted nuts for a richly textured meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa or bulgur
02 - 2 cups water for cooking grains

→ Legumes

03 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 large cucumber, diced
05 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

→ Dairy

06 - 3/4 cup (100 g) crumbled feta cheese

→ Herbs

07 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

→ Nuts & Seeds

09 - 1/3 cup pistachios or slivered almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Rinse quinoa or bulgur thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender (about 12 minutes for quinoa, 15 for bulgur). Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa or bulgur with chickpeas, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, chopped mint, and toasted nuts.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and gently toss to combine all ingredients evenly.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in thirty minutes but tastes like you've been thinking about it all day.
  • The combination of chewy grains, creamy feta, and crunchy nuts hits every texture you didn't know you were craving.
  • You can throw it in a container and feel genuinely proud of what you're eating for lunch tomorrow.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the grain, and don't skip letting it cool—a warm salad becomes sodden, but a cool grain stays distinct and separate.
  • The nuts need to be toasted. Raw nuts taste pale and sad next to everything else; toasted ones add a richness that changes everything.
03 -
  • Make the dressing separately and add it just before serving if you need the salad to last in the fridge—it'll stay fresher longer that way.
  • Toast your own nuts instead of buying them pre-toasted; the flavor difference is genuinely noticeable and worth those few minutes.
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