Breastfeeding Friendly Pesto-Walnut Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
Crunchy, vibrant, and packed with real-food ingredients, this slaw is the kind of dish that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation. The combination of shredded green and red cabbage with grated carrots gives you serious texture and color, while a blended basil-walnut dressing does the heavy lifting on flavor — bright from fresh lemon juice, rich from olive oil, and deeply savory with just a hint of garlic. Walnuts show up twice here, toasted and folded in for crunch as well as blended into the dressing itself, making them a star ingredient worth celebrating. They're one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which is exactly the kind of nourishing fat worth leaning into when you're feeding yourself and a baby. The optional nutritional yeast adds a subtle umami depth without any dairy, and a short ten-minute rest lets the cabbage relax into the dressing so every bite is perfectly balanced. Fresh parsley on top keeps things bright and adds a little extra herbal lift. This is the kind of slaw that actually gets better as it sits, making it ideal for prepping ahead on a busy day.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the slaw
- 3 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 3 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
- ½ cup raw walnuts
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Can be omittedflat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- 1
Toast the 1/2 cup raw walnuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 4–5 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool for 2 minutes, then roughly chop and set aside.
- 2
Make the pesto dressing: combine the basil, 1/4 cup raw walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast (if using) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides once, about 30 seconds.
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