Vegetarian Pesto-Walnut Watercress and Cucumber Salad
This salad is a bright, bold celebration of fresh ingredients that comes together with almost no effort. Peppery watercress and cool, crisp cucumber slices form the base, and then a homemade pesto vinaigrette — built from fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — ties everything together in the most fragrant way. Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet before scattering them over the top adds a warm, nutty crunch that makes every bite feel intentional. Shaved Parmesan finishes the whole thing with a salty, savory edge that balances the brightness of the lemon zest perfectly. The dressing comes together in a blender in under a minute, so this is genuinely weeknight-friendly despite tasting like something you'd order at a nice restaurant. Everything on the ingredient list is naturally meat-free, so there's no swapping or substituting required — just straightforward, satisfying cooking.
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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
Chef's tipChoose a vegan parmesan in the form the recipe uses - grated for sprinkling and sauces, a firm wedge for shaving or melting.
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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