Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad
on Jun 08, 2022, Updated Mar 08, 2024
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This Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad is the original, made better! One of the coolest things to have happened to me on 📱social media is to have started a trend with my original Jennifer Aniston Salad video which has now made it all over the 🌍 world, TikTok, the New York post and so many other articles too. I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who shared it, made it, and to all my fellow creators that tagged me in their amazing creations and versions. It has made my 🩷 heart extremely happy to see all of the different versions out there but I truly think that this couscous recipe is the best by far. I absolutely love couscous in any dish and it really amps up the base recipe.
Why You’ll Love Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad
If you loved the original Jennifer Aniston Salad, 🥗 you’ll LOVE the addition of couscous. Couscous has a slightly milder taste than bulgar in the original, but it still helps make the salad substantial and nutritious. Couscous is light and fluffy and a delicious addition to this viral salad recipe. I like to keep the dressing super simple with some 🍋 lemon, olive oil and salt, but you can adjust!
How to Prepare Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad
💦 First, in a pot on the stove add 1 and 1/3 cup couscous, 2 cups water, salt and olive oil.
🔥 Let it come up to a boil, and then remove from the heat.
⏲️ Then, cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes.
🥒 While you’re waiting, finely dice all the herbs and vegetables.
🥣 Then, add everything to a bowl with the cooked and cooled down couscous and mix together.
🫒 Finally, I like to add a touch of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt but feel free to adjust. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip
I like to let the flavours of the veggies shine in this recipe so I choose to keep the dressing super simple with some lemon, olive oil and salt, but you can adjust!
Variations and Substitutions for Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad
- I personally love the couscous here, but you can really use any grain instead. Try quinoa, farro, 🍚 rice or go back to the original and use bulgur.
- Feel free to swap out the veggies in this anything-goes salad. Try tomatoes and peppers, radishes, 🥕 carrots or roasted beets.
- You can also play around with different herb combinations in this Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad. Basil, cilantro or dill instead would absolutely be delicious.
- I love adding proteins to salads like this. The recipe calls for chickpeas, but you can try hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken or 🍤 shrimp instead.
- Amp up the nutrients even more by throwing in a handful of 🥬 greens, such as spinach, arugula or kale.
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
- A salad like this Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad was MADE for summer barbecues and large gatherings. Serve it as a side dish to 🍔 my Juicy Homemade Burgers, or grilled steak, chicken or salmon.
- Additional proteins such as 🥚 hard-boiled eggs, beans or chickpeas are a great way to make this salad a well-balanced dish nutritionally.
Common Questions
I like to let the flavours of the veggies shine in this recipe so I choose to keep the dressing super simple with some lemon, olive oil and salt, but you can adjust. I also think that my delicious go-to dressing found in my Strawberry Spinach Salad would be sensational.
Any nut, toasted or raw, would work here as would sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You could also do crispy chickpeas for texture, or even crispy onion straws would be yum.
Yes, this Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad can be made a day or so ahead of time. You may need to give it another drizzle of olive oil before serving because it can be absorbed by the couscous as it sits.
I kept this Greek-inspired and used feta, but you can also try with goat cheese, cubed mozzarella or parmesan. Also, any favourite dairy-free cheese will also work.
If you follow these simple steps, your couscous will always be fluffy! First, add your couscous, water, a pinch of salt and a bit of olive oil to your pot. Bring it to a boil and then take it off the heat immediately. bring water and couscous to a boil in a pot, with add a pinch of salt and bit of olive oil. Next, cover the pan and let the couscous steam for 5 minutes. Now, remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the couscous.
Jennifer Aniston Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups couscous, cook on the stove as per the directions on the package
- 2 cups water , for the couscous
- ⅛ teaspoon salt , for the couscous water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for the couscous water
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup mint, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup pistachios, or as many as you like
- ½ cup cucumbers , about 2 mini cucumbers
- chickpeas , optional
- ½ cup feta cheese , measure with your heart
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
Instructions
- In a pot on the stove add 1 and 1/3 cup couscous, 2 cups water, salt and olive oil. Let it come up to a boil, and take it off the heat as soon as it does.
- Cover it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Finely dice all of the herbs and vegetables and take your time because this should be therapeutic.
- Add everything to a bowl with the cooked and cooled down couscous and mix. Feel free to add some chickpeas, grilled chicken or shrimp for protein.
- I added a touch of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt but feel free to adjust. Enjoy
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
