Jennifer Aniston Protein-Packed Salad (Printable)

Vibrant salad with quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, feta, herbs, and toasted nuts, perfect for a light meal.

# 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 toasted pistachios or slivered almonds, roughly chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Rinse quinoa or bulgur thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender—about 12 minutes for quinoa or 15 minutes for bulgur. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled quinoa or bulgur with chickpeas, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, crumbled feta, parsley, mint, and toasted nuts.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, yet tastes like you spent way more time on it.
  • The combination of textures—creamy feta, crunchy nuts, tender grains—makes every bite interesting.
  • Packed with plant-based protein, it's filling enough for lunch but light enough for summer dinner.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad until you're ready to eat it, or the grains will absorb too much liquid and become mushy—cold salads are best served within an hour of dressing.
  • Toasting your own nuts makes an enormous difference; if you skip this step, the salad tastes flat in comparison.
03 -
  • Keep the dressing in a separate jar if you're packing this for lunch—shake it well before pouring it over the salad so the garlic and seasonings are evenly distributed.
  • If you're making this ahead, store the grain and vegetables separately from the dressing, feta, and nuts, then assemble everything just before serving for maximum crispness and flavor.
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