Gut 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)

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

Earthy, vibrant, and genuinely satisfying, this salad brings together roasted beet wedges, nutty buckwheat groats, peppery baby arugula, and a bright basil-walnut pesto that ties everything together beautifully. Each component is whole and minimally processed — exactly the kind of ingredient lineup that tends to sit well and feel nourishing rather than heavy. Buckwheat groats are a naturally gluten-free grain that cooks up light and fluffy, making them a smart base for anyone who finds wheat-heavy grains harder to digest. The pesto skips the cheese entirely and leans on lemon juice and good olive oil for richness, so you get bold flavor without the dairy load. Walnuts show up twice — blended into the pesto and scattered on top as a crunchy finish — adding healthy fats and a satisfying bite throughout. Roasting the beets low and slow in a foil packet keeps them tender and sweet without any fuss, and rubbing the skins off afterward is genuinely one of the most satisfying steps in the kitchen. This is the kind of salad that converts skeptics — colorful enough to impress at a dinner table, grounded enough to feel like real food.

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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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