Lactose Free Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
This vibrant salad is a bright, bold tangle of peppery watercress and cool cucumber slices, finished with toasted walnuts and delicate shavings of Parmesan. 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 something far more interesting than a standard dressing. Walnuts pull double duty here, toasted for the salad and blended into the vinaigrette, adding richness and a satisfying crunch throughout. A small amount of Parmesan goes a long way as a finishing touch, and because it's used as a garnish rather than a creamy base, the overall dish stays light and easy on the digestive system. There's no butter, no cream, and no milk-based dressing to worry about — just clean, whole ingredients doing all the heavy lifting. It comes together quickly and looks genuinely impressive on a platter, making it an easy win for a weeknight side or a dinner party starter.
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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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