This viral Jennifer Aniston salad recipe is made from a base of hearty quinoa, nutty chickpeas, crunchy pistachios, crispy cucumber, and tangy feta cheese. Complementary flavors include red onion, lemon, parsley, and mint that make this delicious salad a fresh new option as a side or main dish.
Add the chopped red onion to a small bowl of cold water. Allow it to soak while you cook the quinoa. This will reduce the "bite" of the onion. If that doesn't bother you, you can skip this step and start with cooking the quinoa.
Rinse quinoa under cold water, then drain. Add quinoa and water1 to a medium size saucepan and bring the water to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and allow to cool while you proceed with the recipe.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Pour the quinoa into a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, cucumber, parsley, mint, onion, pistachios, and feta cheese. Drizzle prepared dressing over all of the ingredients, then stir to combine.
Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Salad does not freeze well.
Notes
Water for quinoa: I like to salt my quinoa water, but this is optional. I use about ¼ teaspoon.
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.