The Jennifer Aniston Chickpea Salad is famously fresh, crisp, zesty, and packed full of vegan protein. It’s easy to see why this summer salad went viral on tiktok.
This is the veganized version of Jennifer Anniston’s salad that went viral on tiktok. The tiktok videos state she ate this every single day on the set of friends. Upon researching these claims, I found this is not the salad Jennifer Anniston ate on the set of friends but rather what she would describe as her ideal salad. Either way, it’s worth it to give this delicious, healthy summer salad a try! It’s the perfect vegan lunch or plant-based side dish for a BBQ or backyard event.
This quinoa and chickpea salad is also great for meal prep, and stores in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you are making this salad ahead, add the pistachios and vegan feta when you are ready to serve. This will preserve the crunch of the pistachio, and ensure the vegan feta chunks don’t disappear into the salad.
Quinoa
The original recipe calls for bulgar, but I used quinoa. Either one works perfectly in this vegan summer salad.
Pistachios
The pistachios can easily be substituted for another nut. Slivered or roasted almonds would complement this salad beautifully. Sunflower seeds can be used if you have a tree-nut allergy in the house.
Lemons
Fresh lemons are best. Lemon is the main ingredient that’s dressing this salad, so use fresh if possible.
Red onion
Red onion is the perfect addition to this salad. If you don’t have it, use 1 bunch of green onions or scallions instead. Do not use white onion as it will be much too strong
Olive oil
Sunflower oil or avocado oil would make a great substitute in place of extra virgin olive oil. Avocado – If you want some extra creaminess in this summer salad, try adding 1 or 2 diced-up avocados. I’ve tried it and it’s fantastic!
Cooking the quinoa in The Jennifer Aniston Chickpea Salad
My quinoa instructions call for 1 and ¼ cups of quinoa to 2 cups of water. I used 1 and ¼ cups of dried quinoa and still found it was a perfect balance. Making your quinoa ahead of time allows it to cool. Don’t add your quinoa in with the other ingredients until it has fully cooled. Adding hot quinoa can partially cook the ingredients that we want to leave raw. This salad is best served cold, and is the perfect vegan summer side dish or meal!
Jennifer Aniston’s Chickpea Salad – Vegan and Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa or bulgar wheat, uncooked
- water to cook the quinoa (follow package instructions)
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cucumber chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 large red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
- 2 lemons juiced (about 5 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook 1 cup of quinoa or bulgar according to package instructions. If you want a little extra flavour, use half veggie broth and half water.
- Fluff quinoa with a fork, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- In a medium serving bowl, mix together the quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, parsley, mint, pistachios, onion, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and crumbled feta.
- If this dish is being made ahead of time, wait to add the pistachios and feta until it's ready to serve.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
