Rice Free Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
This salad is a bright, bold bowl of fresh flavors that comes together with almost no effort — peppery watercress, cool cucumber, toasty walnuts, and shaved Parmesan all pulled together by a silky homemade pesto vinaigrette. The dressing is the real star here: blended basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and zest create something that tastes far more impressive than the ingredient list suggests. Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet before scattering them over the top adds a warm, nutty crunch that plays beautifully against the crisp cucumber and tender greens. Because every component is naturally grain-free and built around whole, fresh ingredients, there's no need to swap or substitute a single thing — it just works. The pesto vinaigrette comes together in a blender in under a minute, making this an ideal choice when you want something that looks elegant but doesn't demand much from you. Serve it immediately after tossing so the watercress stays lively and the walnuts keep their crunch.
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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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