Cashew Free Pesto-Walnut Egg Spinach Salad
This salad is a genuinely satisfying meal that hits every note — creamy, herby, bright, and a little rich all at once. The star of the dressing is a quick blitzed pesto vinaigrette made with fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, and lemon juice, which comes together in a food processor in under a minute and tastes wildly good. Walnuts pull double duty here, blended into the dressing for body and toasted in olive oil until golden and fragrant for crunch on top. The eggs are cooked to exactly seven minutes, landing in that perfect jammy zone where the whites are set but the yolks are still a little soft and glossy — they make this feel like a proper restaurant-style plate. Baby spinach and halved cherry tomatoes round everything out with freshness, and a scatter of shaved Parmesan adds a salty, savory finish if you want it. Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of cashews, so there's no need to swap anything out or second-guess a single label. It's the kind of salad that actually keeps you full and makes you feel good about what you just ate.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the eggs
- 4 large eggs
For the pesto vinaigrette
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- 1 small garlic clove
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for the dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the salad
- 5 oz baby spinach
- ½ cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for toasting
- ¼ tsp salt, for toasting
For serving
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a full boil. Gently lower the eggs in with a spoon and cook for exactly 7 minutes for jammy, slightly soft yolks. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 5 minutes, then peel and halve lengthwise.
- 2
While the eggs cook, heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until the walnuts are fragrant and lightly golden — watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a plate to cool.
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