Gelatin Free Pesto-Walnut Egg Spinach Salad
Salads this vibrant and satisfying rarely come together so effortlessly, and this one delivers on every front — tender baby spinach, jammy soft-boiled eggs with that gorgeous barely-set yolk, sweet cherry tomatoes, and golden toasted walnuts for crunch. The real star is the pesto vinaigrette, blitzed together from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, and lemon juice, which coats every leaf with bright, herby flavor. Many store-bought dressings and pesto sauces sneak in unexpected additives, so making your own from scratch here means you know exactly what's going in the bowl. The double hit of walnuts — once blended into the dressing and once toasted in olive oil until fragrant — gives the salad a richness and depth that makes it feel far more substantial than a typical green salad. Toasting the walnuts is a small step that pays off enormously, coaxing out a nutty warmth that plays beautifully against the lemon brightness of the vinaigrette. A finishing scatter of shaved Parmesan is optional but highly recommended if you want that extra savory edge. This is the kind of salad that converts skeptics — the sort of thing you make once and immediately want to put on weekly rotation.
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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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