Jennifer Aniston Salad With Quinoa (2024)

Looking for a nutritious salad that will make you feel like a Hollywood star? Try our version of Jennifer Aniston salad with quinoa, which you can cook in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Packed with wholesome ingredients, this gluten-free and vegetarian salad is a perfect choice for a light and satisfying meal.

What Is A Jennifer Aniston Salad?

The Jennifer Aniston salad became famous on TikTok. One theory was that Jennifer Aniston ate this salad for lunch while on the set of Friends. However, the recipe was actually shared by Aniston during an Instagram takeover for Living Proof brand back in 2015. She described a salad with bulgur, cucumbers, red onion, chickpeas, parsley, mint, feta cheese, and pistachios and called it “the perfect salad.” A few years later, this salad made its way to TikTok and its popularity grew from there.

We decided to try a version of Jennifer Aniston salad using quinoa instead of bulgur. Quinoa adds a nutty taste, hearty texture, and a host of health benefits, including being gluten-free and a great source of protein.

We cooked the quinoa and the chickpeas for the salad using the Instant Pot (great for summer meal prep), however, you can easily use stovetop-made quinoa and canned chickpeas.

Lemon vinaigrette, with its zesty and citrusy notes, serves as the perfect dressing for this salad, enhancing the freshness of the ingredients while adding a tangy kick.

This Jennifer Aniston quinoa salad is refreshing and healthy with a delightful medley of flavors and texture. And if you want more ideas, check out these Instant Pot salad recipes.

How To Make Jennifer Aniston Salad With Quinoa

You will find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below. Here are some step-by-step instructions and videos for how to make Jennifer Aniston salad.

Cooking Quinoa In Instant Pot

Instant Pot quinoa is quick and convenient and gives perfectly cooked, fluffy grains every time. You can make quinoa ahead of time or just before you need to use it.

One cup of uncooked grain yields about 2.5-3 cups of cooked quinoa. You can always make a little bit extra and use leftovers as a side dish or in a breakfast bowl.

To cook 1 cup of quinoa in the Instant Pot, you will need 1.5 cups of water or stock. We have a more detailed post on how to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot, but here are the basic instructions.

Rinse the quinoa under cold water and strain. Add to the Instant Pot along with water and a little salt; we also like to add a little olive oil. Set to pressure cook on HIGH for 1 minute. Once the timer is done, leave the pot alone for 10 minutes (NPR, natural pressure release). The quinoa will finish cooking during this time. Open the lid and fluff quinoa with a fork, cool down and use in the salad as needed.
You can also cook the chickpeas in the Instant Pot ahead of time.

Cooking Quinoa On A Stovetop

Cooking quinoa on a stovetop is a straightforward process. To cook 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, you will need 2 cups of water or vegetable broth (for added flavor), plus salt. The stovetop method requires more water than the Instant Pot method.

Rinse the quinoa and strain. Add to a medium-sized saucepan with water (1:2 ratio) and a little bit of salt. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir the quinoa occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Once the quinoa reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from boiling over. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. This resting period allows the quinoa to absorb any remaining moisture and results in a fluffy texture.

After the resting time, uncover the pot and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Making The Quinoa Salad

Prepare the quinoa, drain the chickpeas and dice up the vegetables and herbs. Assemble them in a large mixing bowl and add the crumbled feta and shelled, chopped pistachios.

You can whisk the salad dressing separately or simply drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the salad and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Toss through and serve.

Salad Variations

While this quinoa salad is already a delightful creation on its own, feel free to get creative and customize it according to your preferences.

• We used white quinoa but you can try the red or tricolor variety. If you want to try the original version, use Bulgur instead of quinoa. Cannellini beans black beans or lentils could be used instead of chickpeas.
• Boost the protein content by adding grilled chicken, tofu, or shrimp to the salad. These additions will provide a satiating and complete meal.
• For a Mediterranean twist, substitute the lemon vinaigrette with a tangy tzatziki dressing. Add some Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes to infuse the salad with rich Mediterranean flavors.
• To make this salad vegan-friendly, omit the feta cheese or replace it with vegan cheese alternatives. You can also swap honey with maple syrup in the lemon vinaigrette to make it completely plant-based.

More Salads With Instant Pot

Instant Pot Chicken Salad

Instant Pot Caesar Pasta Salad

Instant Pot Potato Salad With Tangy Vinaigrette

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