Nitrate & Nitrite Free Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
Peppery watercress, cool cucumber, and toasted walnuts 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 deeply satisfying. Shaved Parmesan adds a salty, nutty finish that ties the whole bowl together beautifully. Every single ingredient here is whole and unprocessed, which means there are no cured meats, packaged dressings, or preserved items to second-guess — just clean, real food from start to finish. That matters more than people realize, since so many store-bought dressings and salad kits quietly sneak in preservatives that can be hard to spot on a label. Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes is a small step that pays off big, deepening their flavor and adding a satisfying crunch against the tender greens. Serve it immediately after tossing so the watercress stays vibrant and the textures stay exactly where you want them.
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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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