Mushroom Free Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad with Buckwheat and Basil Pesto

Earthy roasted beets, nutty buckwheat groats, and peppery baby arugula come together in a salad that feels genuinely special without requiring any fussy technique. The real star is the homemade basil pesto — blended with dry-roasted walnuts, fresh lemon juice, and good olive oil — which coats every ingredient in something bright, herby, and deeply satisfying. Foil-roasting the beets keeps them tender and sweet, and rubbing off the skins once they cool is one of those small kitchen tricks that makes the whole process feel effortless. For anyone navigating a diet that rules out fungi, this kind of bold, plant-forward salad can be surprisingly hard to find at restaurants where mushrooms sneak into nearly every "interesting" vegetarian dish — here, every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify. The buckwheat adds a hearty, slightly toasty bite that keeps the salad grounded and filling rather than just leafy. A final scatter of roughly chopped walnuts on top gives you crunch in every forkful, and a pinch of red pepper flakes adds just enough heat to keep things lively. This one is the kind of recipe you'll find yourself making on repeat.

About Fig

Fig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.

Learn more →