Pecan Free Pesto-Walnut Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
This vibrant slaw is a serious upgrade from the mayo-heavy versions you grew up with — bright, herby, and packed with crunch from two kinds of cabbage and sweet grated carrot. The dressing is a blender pesto built on fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil, with raw walnuts doing the heavy lifting in place of pine nuts for a rich, nutty depth. Toasted walnuts get scattered over the top at the end, so you get that warm, golden crunch in every bite alongside the tender, dressing-soaked strands of cabbage. A short rest period lets everything meld together beautifully, which means the flavors are even better after ten minutes on the counter than they are straight out of the bowl. Scallion greens and an optional hit of nutritional yeast round out the savory notes without weighing the whole thing down. If you've been nervous about store-bought slaws or pesto products hiding unexpected tree nuts, making this from scratch puts you completely in control of every ingredient. It works as a bold side dish, a topping for grain bowls, or honestly just eaten straight from the mixing bowl with a fork.
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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)
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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