Jennifer Aniston Protein Salad (Printer View)

A colorful salad featuring quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, feta, fresh herbs, and crunchy toasted nuts.

# Components:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa or bulgur, uncooked
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 feta cheese, crumbled

→ 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

# Method:

01 - Rinse the 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 bowl, mix the cooled quinoa or bulgur with chickpeas, diced cucumber, chopped red onion, crumbled feta, parsley, mint, and toasted nuts.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine evenly.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of warm toasted nuts and cool crisp vegetables creates this incredible texture contrast that keeps every bite interesting
  • You can meal prep it for days and the flavors actually get better as everything marinates together
02 -
  • The salad really does taste better after sitting for at least an hour in the refrigerator, so do not be afraid to make it ahead
  • Adding fresh herbs right before serving keeps their color bright instead of tired and dark
03 -
  • Use a microplane to grate the garlic into the dressing so it dissolves completely instead of leaving raw chunks
  • Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad, adjusting the salt or acid until it tastes perfect on its own
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