BHA & BHT Free Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
Peppery watercress, cool cucumber, toasted walnuts, and shaved Parmesan come together in a salad that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy without much effort at all. The real star is the pesto vinaigrette — blitzed together from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — which coats every leaf in something bright, herby, and a little nutty. Avoiding BHA and BHT often means steering clear of packaged dressings and bottled sauces, since those preservatives tend to hide in exactly those products. Making the vinaigrette from scratch here means you know exactly what's going in, and the ingredient list is refreshingly short and clean. Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes adds a warm, golden depth that makes the whole salad feel more substantial. A pinch of red pepper flakes in the dressing gives it a subtle kick if you want it, and the lemon zest keeps everything tasting fresh and lively. Toss it together just before serving and it's the kind of dish that disappears fast.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- ½ cup raw walnut halves
- 5 oz watercress, thick stems trimmed
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 oz parmesan, shaved
For the pesto vinaigrette
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup raw walnut halves
- 1 small garlic clove
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the ½ cup raw walnut halves (for the salad) and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
- 2
In a small food processor or blender, combine the basil, ¼ cup raw walnuts (for the vinaigrette), garlic clove, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped and uniform.
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