You can’t go wrong with pesto. Whether on pasta, pizza or sandwiches, the bright green sauce and spread packs savory gusto into any meal. It’s particularly refreshing in this buckwheat salad, which features a pesto made with hearty walnuts and parsley instead of pine nuts and basil. Served with crusty bread and chopped vegetables, this gluten-free and vegetarian dish makes everything right.
Vegetarian Buckwheat Salad with Pesto
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat groats
1 cup finely chopped, fresh parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup soy bacon bits, optional
2 tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. sea salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-½ cups water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
Directions
- In a large saucepan, bring water to boil and add salt. Add buckwheat and cover pot. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and leave pan covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- In a small bowl, combine walnuts, garlic, olive oil and garlic.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine parsley, Parmesan, black olives and basil.
- Add walnuts mixture to cooked buckwheat, and then mix in herb and cheese mixture. Mix until fully combined. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle with soy bacon, if desired.