Buckwheat Pesto Salad

This stuff is delicious! It's my first experience with using buckwheat in a savory dish & I'll definitely be using it more in the future. Cooked whole buckwheat groats have a consistancy similar to rice, with the slight chew, & it has a nuttier of flavor.

I first discovered buckwheat groats through another blog I read, Edible Perspective. Ashley introduced me to Buckwheat Bakes (like this Zucchini Bread Buckwheat Bake) as a breakfast item & I really like them! They're very filling & last me through the morning without hunger pains.

When I started making the bakes, I needed to purchase raw buckwheat groats. They were not available in our local stores, so I bought a multi-pack box from Amazon.com. That was best price I found & I knew I'd use them all! The basis for this recipe was on the back of the Bob's Red Mill bag.

Buckwheat is a fairly uncommon food to cook with. It's a little misleading, because while it has "wheat" in the name, it's actually not wheat at all. It's gluten-free, in fact! Even though it's used like a grain, it's actually a seed. It's also high in protein, manganese, magnesium & fiber. Lots of healthy goodness here!

We'll be enjoying this alongside leftovers or with a big salad. I hope you try it!

Buckwheat Pesto Salad
Adapted from Bob's Red Mill
Serves 6-8

1 c Buckwheat Groats
2-1/2 c water
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 Batch Parsley Walnut Pesto
4 cloves garlic
1/4 c fresh basil
1/2 c chopped Walnuts
1 c freshley grated Parmesan cheese

 

In a medium saucpan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add buckwheat groats, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from stove and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove lid & fluff with fork.

 

In the meantime, make your parsley walnut pesto. Clean out the food processor and pulse the garlic cloves a few times to chop. Add basil & pulse again until it is chopped and mixed with the garlic.

 

Mix olive oil, parsley pesto, and the garlic-basil together. Stir this into the cooked buckwheat groats. Add walnuts and parmesan cheese. Salt to taste, if needed. Serve warm, or refrigerate in a sealed container & serve cold. It's great both ways!

Parsley Walnut Pesto

You know how sometimes you find a recipe that calls for fresh herbs, so you buy some, but then you have a whole bunch leftover?

This pesto is a great solution for that! I had a bunch of parsley leftover from a quinoa salad I made & I didn't want it to go to waste. This pesto recipe is perfect for small amounts of herbs. So many pestos call for 2-3 cups of a fresh herb & I rarely have that much on hand. You could also use this recipe with a different herb, like basil or cilantro for a different flavor.

While this doesn't make a large quantity of pesto (only about 1/2 cup), it's just the right amount to use on a pizza, as a sandwich spread, or mixed with pasta for 2. Plus, it's yummy & full of flavor & healthy fats!

Parsley Walnut Pesto
Yield: 1/2 cup

1 c parsley, washed & de-stemmed
1/4 c walnuts
2 T lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor & process until mostly smooth. You may have to stop a few times to scrape down the sides. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use (no more than a week). Pesto can also be frozen, either in one container or in small batches in an ice cube tray (once frozen, remove from tray and seal in a freezer bag).