Savor the goodness of this Vegan Jennifer Aniston Salad with a drizzle of tahini dressing—wholesome, delicious, and effortlessly crafted for a delightful meal.
As a longtime Jennifer Aniston admirer, I’ve been a fan since her days as Rachel Green on Friends. Recently, I tried the viral TikTok salad inspired by her daily go-to on the Friends set—pure salad magic!
After some research, I found that Jennifer shared this salad while doing an Instagram takeover for a brand called Living Proof back in 2015. The brand is no longer on IG, but you can still find it on Way Back Machine (a site for looking up old content). In the post, Jennifer says “My perfect salad – Bulgar, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, & pistachios.”
Ingredients you’ll need for Jen Aniston’s Salad
- Bulgur – Comes from cracked whole-grain kernels of wheat. It’s nutritious, originated in the Mediterranean region, and has been around for over 4,000 years. It comes together really fast in under 15 minutes on the stovetop. Replace bulgur with quinoa or farro, if too hard to find or if you need a gluten-free option.
- Chickpeas – I use chickpeas straight out of the can for this recipe. I’d suggest roasting them for an even better depth of flavor.
- Red onion – I use red onions for this recipe. Use any onion of your choice. Or, leave it out if you want.
- Fresh parsley & mint – Fresh herbs enhance the flavors of this salad. Feel free to use any herbs of your choice.
- Pistachios – add a mildly sweet and earthy flavor. However, mix it up with almonds or pumpkin seeds.
- Cucumber – Mini Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers are great in salads.
- Vegan Feta – I like Follow Your Heart brand, crumbled feta, but feel free to use any feta you like.
- Tahini dressing – Make this dressing for that tanginess and sweetness. It includes dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), lime juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
How to cook Bulgur wheat
- Add one cup of bulgur, 2 cups of water, and a pinch of kosher salt to a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 12 minutes, or until the liquid absorbs.
- Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Use immediately, or spread on a baking sheet to let cool.
How to make this vegan Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Cook the bulgur according to the package instructions. Let it cool before adding it to the salad.
- Finely chop the pistachios, cucumbers, parsley, mint, and red onion.
- Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl and vegan feta (if using). Drizzle the tahini dressing on top and mix well.
Bulgur Salad Substitutions
This recipe offers endless customization possibilities. Explore some suggested ingredient substitutes listed below to tailor it to your taste:
- Bulgur – Substitute for quinoa, farro, orzo, or your favorite rice.
- Protein/fiber – You can leave out chickpeas or sub for lentils. As mentioned earlier, I highly recommend roasting the chickpeas for this salad for a better depth of flavor and crunch. In addition, top with hemp seeds for flavor, Omega fatty acids, and protein.
- Creaminess – Use feta, goat, parmesan, or skip and use avocado for that creamy factor.
- Nuts – Sub for almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, or walnuts.
- Sweetness – For extra sweetness, add chopped dates or cranberries.
How to store this salad
Meal prepping is a great way to save time during the week. Store this salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 days.
Pairing Suggestions with Bulgur Salad
This salad would be delicious with air fryer cauliflower, butternut squash soup, or my roasted eggplant sandwich.
Jennifer Aniston Salad Q&A
This viral “Rachel Salad”, is made up of bulgur wheat, chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, fresh mint, parsley, pistachios, and feta cheese. For this recipe, I use vegan feta.
Yes, it’s light, refreshing, and has lots of plant-based protein, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. I topped the salad with delicious tahini lime dressing.
Jennifer clarified in a video by Allure that the salad she ate was iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), salami, crunchy turkey bacon, chicken, pecorino cheese, and Italian salad dressing. However, I believe the bulgur salad mentioned by Jennifer in Living Proof got mixed up with the salad Jennifer ate on the set of Friends for many years. Either way, we still love our salad. Anyways, watch Jennifer herself talk about the salad she ate on the set of Friends.
You can drizzle tahini dressing on top of roasted vegetables, falafel, burgers, soups, toast, roasted potatoes, & much more.
More Delicious Vegan Salads You’ll Love:
Leave a comment below, tag me on Instagram, and let me know if you make Jennifer Aniston’s Salad with tahini dressing. I’d love to hear from you;-)
Jennifer Aniston Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Jennifer Aniston Salad
- 1 cup bulgur finely cooked
- 1 cucumber finely chopped
- 1 15oz can of garbanzo beans drained & rinsed
- 2 small handfuls of pistachios roughly chopped
- 1 handful of fresh mint & parsley finely chopped
- pinch of salt for the bulgur
- Vegan Feta to taste (optional)
- salt & black pepper (to taste) for the salad
Tahini-Lime Dressing
- 2 tbsp tahini
- juice of 1 lime plus more, if needed
- 1 tsp smooth dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the bulgur: Add one cup of bulgur, 2 cups of water, and a pinch of kosher salt to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 12 minutes, or until the liquid absorbs. Remove from heat and let stand, covered 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Make the tahini dressing: Add tahini, salt, lime juice, maple syrup, and dijon mustard in a small bowl and use a fork to whisk together until smooth & pourable.
- Assemble bulgur salad: To a large bowl add the cooled bulgur, cucumbers, pistachios, mint, parsley, vegan feta, red onions, and chickpeas. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing & toss to combine. Add salt & black pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- You can substitute tahini dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Switch up the herbs, nuts, grains, and cheese based on your preference.
- This salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
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This salad is so refreshing and delicious. And, the tahini sauce adds so much flavor. Thank you!!
Hi Stacy! So happy you enjoyed the salad.
I made this one Thursday! It came out good your the best Shana thanks.
You’re welcome, Tina!!
I love a good salad thank you for posting easy to make recipes.
Glad you’re enjoying the recipes!!
This salad is so good with alot of flavor. And really quick to make.
Hi Deana, Thanks so much for your feedback!
This Jennifer Aniston Salad recipe taste amazing with the tahini dressing. Thank you!
Hi Diane, I couldn’t agree more. The salad with the tahini dressing is so good. Thanks for sharing!!
My kids love for me to make this recipe on the weekends. Thank you, Shana. It’s delicious.
Hi Emily, feedback like this makes my day. Thanks so much for sharing!!
This salad with the tahini dressing is so good. Thank you!
Love that! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
I’ve made this salad twice. Love this recipe!
It’s one of my favorites as well. Thanks!
This salad was a hit at my potluck.
That’s amazing!!
One of the best salads I’ve made and the tahini dressing is so good.
Thank you for the kind words!
One of my favorites from your site. I make this salad all the time.
Thank you, Rebecca!
This salad is so good 😊
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe.