Jennifer Aniston Vibrant Salad (Printable)

Vibrant salad with quinoa or bulgur, chickpeas, cucumber, feta, herbs, and toasted nuts.

# What You Need:

→ Grains

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

→ 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 crumbled feta cheese (approximately 100 g)

→ Herbs

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

→ Nuts & Seeds

09 - 1/3 cup toasted pistachios or slivered almonds, 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 ground black pepper

# How-To:

01 - Rinse quinoa or bulgur thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender—approximately 12 minutes for quinoa or 15 minutes for bulgur. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled grains, 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 ground black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to ensure an even coating.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge, making it ideal for make-ahead lunches
  • The combination hits every texture and flavor note without requiring any actual cooking beyond boiling grains
02 -
  • Adding dressing to warm grains makes them absorb flavor better, but the salad texture is best when fully cooled
  • The mint and parsley really need to be fresh rather than dried or the whole profile falls flat
03 -
  • Toasting the nuts until they are deeply golden, not just lightly browned, makes a surprising difference in the final flavor
  • Letting the dressed salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving allows the flavors to meld properly
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