Nutmeg 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 — blitzed with walnuts, garlic, and fresh lemon juice, it's bright and herbaceous and coats every ingredient beautifully. Warm spices like nutmeg can sneak into store-bought pestos and pre-seasoned grain blends, but every component here is built from scratch with a clean, straightforward ingredient list. Roasting the beets in a foil packet keeps them tender and deeply flavored, while the buckwheat adds a satisfying chew that makes this feel more like a hearty grain bowl than a side salad. A final scatter of roughly chopped walnuts gives you crunch in every bite, and a pinch of red pepper flakes adds just enough heat to keep things interesting. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive on the table but comes together with nothing more than a sheet pan, a saucepan, and a food processor.
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Learn more →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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