My edited version of the viral Jennifer Aniston salad uses orzo instead of bulgur or quinoa, and we skip the chickpeas. This salad is fresh, flavorful, healthy, and addictive!
Why is it called Jennifer Aniston Salad?
There are claims that Jennifer Aniston ate the same salad every day for 10 years while filming Friends, but after digging a bit, I discovered that the story traces back to an Instagram takeover she did for the brand Living Proof.
Although the original post is no longer on Instagram, it’s still accessible through the Wayback Machine, a great tool for finding archived content.
The post, from 2015, featured a salad with bulgur, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, chickpeas, feta cheese, and pistachios, which Aniston described as her “perfect salad” in the caption.
The Best Version of this Viral Salad Recipe
In my opinion, this salad is so much better with orzo! Just try it, try it and you’ll see (only Dr. Seuss lovers will see what I did there, couldn’t help myself).
The combination of crunchy, fresh cucumbers, salty pistachios, fresh herbs, and tangy lemon, all soaked up with just the perfect amount of orzo… my mouth waters just describing it!
Keep reading for tips and the full recipe in the recipe card below.
What You’ll Need for this Orzo Version of Jennifer Aniston Salad
Get the full recipe with measurements and ingredients in the recipe card below. Here’s what you’ll need for this salad:
- Orzo
- Water (to cook orzo)
- Cucumber, chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Fresh mint, chopped
- Red onion, chopped
- Roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
- 2 lemons, juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- sea salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
How to Make This Jennifer Aniston Salad Recipe
This fresh salad is so easy to make, you’ll want to throw it together once a week for easy lunches!
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes while preparing the rest of the salad.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cooked orzo, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and feta.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. You can also serve it immediately, but I think it’s better after it’s had time to meld together and get colder.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
Garlic Butter Oven Roasted Potatoes
Sheila’s Macaroni Salad Recipe
3 Simple Secrets for the Best Bolognese Sauce
Jennifer Aniston Salad with Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo uncooked
- Water to cook orzo
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ cup mint chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion chopped
- ½ cup roasted and salted pistachios chopped
- 2 lemons juiced (about 5-6 Tablespoons)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- sea salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes while preparing the rest of the salad.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cooked orzo, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and feta.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. You can also serve it immediately, but I think it’s better after it’s had time to meld together and get colder.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Hi, I’m Jessica! I am wife to Chris, and mom to Kaip, Alana and Koa. I am a website developer and blogger. In this space, I share about everything from parenting, making money from home, recipes, mom lifestyle, and things for kids! Learn more about me here.
