Jennifer Aniston Vibrant Salad (Printable Version)

Mediterranean-inspired salad with quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, feta, fresh herbs, and toasted nuts.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# How to Make:

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 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, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the assembled ingredients and toss gently to combine evenly.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely filling enough to be a complete meal, not a sad desk lunch pretending to be dinner.
  • You can prep everything in advance and let the flavors get even better as they sit together.
  • The nuts and cheese make it feel indulgent while the vegetables and grains keep it light and honest.
02 -
  • The difference between a good salad and a soggy disaster is timing—dress it no more than a few hours before serving, or the vegetables will start to weep and everything gets sad.
  • Toasting your own nuts transforms this salad from vegetable-forward to genuinely crave-worthy, and it takes maybe five minutes in a dry pan.
03 -
  • Toast your nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about three to five minutes, shaking the pan occasionally—they'll go from good to genuinely transformative.
  • Make extra dressing and keep it in your refrigerator; it's just as good on roasted vegetables or as a marinade for chicken.
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