Breastfeeding Friendly Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad with Buckwheat and Basil Pesto

Total time1 hr 15 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time45 min

4.5

(14)

Breastfeeding Friendly Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad with Buckwheat and Basil Pesto

Earthy roasted beets, nutty buckwheat, peppery arugula, and a vibrant basil-walnut pesto come together in a salad that feels genuinely satisfying rather than virtuous-but-boring. The combination of whole-food ingredients here makes it a smart choice when you're feeding yourself well while nursing — you're getting healthy fats from olive oil and walnuts, folate from the beets and arugula, and a solid hit of plant-based protein and fiber from the buckwheat groats. Walnuts pull double duty in this recipe, blended into the silky pesto and scattered on top for crunch, so every bite has that rich, toasty depth. Roasting the beets low and slow in a foil packet is the move — it concentrates their sweetness and makes the skins slip right off without any fuss. The homemade pesto comes together in a food processor in minutes and is bright with fresh basil and lemon, so it tastes nothing like the jarred stuff. Everything can be prepped in stages, which is genuinely helpful when your schedule is unpredictable. It's the kind of colorful, nourishing bowl that makes you feel like you've really taken care of yourself.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the roasted beets

1 lb medium beets (about 3–4), scrubbed and trimmed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt

For the buckwheat

¾ cup raw buckwheat groats
1 ½ cups water
¼ tsp salt

For the pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
½ cup dry-roasted walnuts, divided
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad

5 oz baby arugula
¼ cup dry-roasted walnuts, roughly chopped
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Place the beets on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Wrap the foil loosely around the beets to form a packet and roast until a paring knife slides through the center of the largest beet with no resistance, 40–50 minutes depending on size.
2
While the beets roast, combine the buckwheat groats, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook until the groats are tender and the water is absorbed, about 12–15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork. Spread onto the baking sheet (or a plate) to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

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