Gut Friendly Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
This salad is a bright, satisfying bowl of greens that feels as good to eat as it looks on the plate. Peppery watercress and cool, crisp cucumber slices get tossed in a homemade pesto vinaigrette built from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — whole, recognizable ingredients from start to finish. Toasted walnut halves add a warm, nutty crunch on top, while shaved Parmesan brings just enough savory richness to round everything out. The dressing comes together quickly in a blender, so there's no fussing with store-bought sauces that might hide unwanted additives or preservatives. Walnuts pull double duty here — blended into the vinaigrette for creaminess and scattered on top for texture — making every bite layered and interesting. It's the kind of salad that actually holds its own as a light meal, not just a side dish you push around the plate.
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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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