Breastfeeding Friendly Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
Fresh, peppery watercress pairs beautifully with cool cucumber slices in this vibrant salad that feels both light and genuinely satisfying. The real star is the homemade pesto vinaigrette — blitzed together from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — which coats every leaf in bright, herby flavor. Walnuts show up twice here, once toasted and scattered on top for crunch, and once blended into the dressing, making them a quiet nutritional anchor throughout the whole dish. Parmesan shavings add a salty, savory finish that ties everything together without weighing it down. When you're eating for two (or recovering and nourishing yourself postpartum), leaning on whole-food ingredients like leafy greens, healthy fats, and quality cheese just makes sense. Everything in this recipe is straightforward and real — no processed shortcuts, no mystery additives — so you know exactly what you're putting on your plate. Toss it together right before serving and it comes to the table looking like something from a restaurant.
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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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