You might remember the Not Jennifer Aniston Salad. Back in 2022, the recipe went viral as the salad the Jennifer Aniston and her co-workers ate on the daily while filming Friends. The chickpea-quinoa-cucumber-feta mix made its way from social media to magazines to restaurant menus, and we loved it. Not to be deterred by the fact that Jennifer Aniston herself reported that the viral salad was not the one she ate every day, cooks everywhere continued to share their own versions of the ever-popular salad.
Well, last week my daughter and I went to a new restaurant in town specifically for the Not Jennifer Aniston Salad we knew, and it wasn’t what we remembered. So we made our own. Not to mess with a salad that obviously has incredible appeal, but I do think a little something pickly makes everything better. So: pickled red onions found a home in our version. And: I am a forever parsley lover, but the watercress at our store looked really pretty, so that’s what we used. (Switch back if you prefer a less peppery green.) And I guess we did mess with the whole thing, because we also subbed roasted pepitas for the pistachios (the store didn’t have shelled pistachios, and I wasn’t about to take that on) and added some fresh oregano for an extra pop of herbs.
Even if it isn’t Jennifer Aniston’s salad, or even the Not Jennifer Aniston Salad, I think you will be happy to have this one in your fridge.
Not the Not Jennifer Aniston Salad
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 15-ounce can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
¾ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup chopped watercress or flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
½ cup chopped pickled red onion
½ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup roasted pepitas
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, garbanzos, quinoa, watercress or parsley, mint, oregano, red onion, feta, and pepitas. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over the salad and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
