Seed Oil Free Pesto-Walnut Egg Spinach Salad
Every drop of fat in this salad comes from extra-virgin olive oil and whole walnuts — no canola, no soybean oil, no mystery blends hiding in a bottled dressing. That matters more than it sounds, because most store-bought vinaigrettes and even restaurant salads quietly rely on refined seed oils as their base. Here, the dressing is a bright, herby pesto vinaigrette blitzed together from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, and lemon juice, and it coats every leaf of baby spinach in something genuinely vibrant. The eggs are cooked to that perfect jammy seven-minute mark — still a little soft in the center, rich enough to act almost like a second dressing when you break into them. Toasted walnuts add a warm, nutty crunch that plays beautifully against the cherry tomatoes and optional shaved Parmesan. It comes together fast, uses real whole ingredients from start to finish, and tastes like something you'd order at a nice café — except you know exactly what went into it.
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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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