Healthy Walnut Recipes

Circassian cooking is from the North Caucasus, which was at different times part of the Ottoman and Persian empires. This chicken stew recipe is made with a creamy walnut sauce and was originally served as a main dish, but became a mezze somewhere along the way. Serve at room temp along with some bread for dipping.

You may not typically serve your cucumbers bruised, but intentionally smashing them releases their flavorful juices. Taking the time to soak the walnuts for this dish gives them a special soft texture and plumpness. Serve this vegetable dish with pita as part of a mezze platter or as a side salad.

Fake out your meat-loving family and friends with this fast plant-based taco dinner recipe. Ground toasted nuts and chopped sautéed celeriac yield a texture similar to ground beef, then classic taco seasoning does the rest. If you want a little heat, sprinkle these healthy vegetarian tacos with some minced jalapeño.

Sticking to its food-waste mission, L.A. Kitchen created this dessert to work with almost any fruit you have on hand. We've done it here with pears and apples, but you can use berries or even tropical fruits instead. The addition of dried fruit adds a concentrated hit of flavor you won't get from fresh alone.

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. “In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together,” she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

In this riff on Sichuan dan dan noodles, spinach and red bell peppers are tossed with a sesame-chile-soy sauce and topped with walnuts. If you want to bump up the protein, add tofu, seitan or even chopped egg.

This creamy vegan mushroom soup is thickened with walnuts, which give the soup a creamy texture--no cream required! Add sautéed mushrooms and walnuts on top for garnish and a little crunch, and a scattering of fresh chives for even more flavor.

A savory blend of walnuts and mushrooms stands in for meat in these tasty vegan Tex-Mex tacos. Creamy avocado sauce and crunchy cabbage provide just the right combination of flavors and textures. These tacos get a nice kick from chili powder, but feel free to reduce the amount if you prefer a less spicy taco. Add a side of beans to round out the meal. The filling and avocado cream would also be great in a rice bowl, on nachos or in a burrito.

This broiled broccolini recipe is the answer when you're looking for a quick vegetable side dish. Broccolini is a bit sweeter and more tender than broccoli, and tastes delicious when broiled quickly and topped with chopped walnuts.

This syrup-soaked walnut cake—a traditional Greek dessert that's often served for holidays—gets its structure from breadcrumbs instead of flour. It's delicious unadorned, but feel free to top it with unsweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or warm chocolate sauce for an extra layer of decadence.

A handful of walnuts and a potassium-rich banana go a long way as a snack. It's the perfect mix of carbohydrates and heart-healthy fats to keep you energized.

Tender-crisp green beans tossed with creamy blue cheese and topped with toasted walnuts pair well with grilled steak or chicken.

Wheat berries have amazing texture—they practically pop in your mouth like caviar—and each 1/2-cup serving of cooked wheat berries has more than 4 grams of fiber. Since they take up to an hour to get tender, make them in a large batch and freeze whatever you don't use right away in individual servings. (You can do the same thing with any whole grain!) That way, you can easily stir them into soup, season them with citrus and herbs for a pilaf or make them the base of a satisfying grain salad.

These cute mini pizzas are topped with asparagus, walnuts, mint, orange and smoked mozzarella cheese for what may sound like a crazy combination of pizza toppings, but try it for yourself. The mix puts a downright delicious spin on pizza night.

Basil is the backbone of this vibrant no-cook basil-walnut pesto sauce. Toss in some leftover roast chicken or pork with these zucchini noodles for a heartier meal.

These hearty veggie burgers have a touch of grated red beet as a nod to beef. Pile on your favorite toppings or skip the bun and serve with a big salad.

This arugula salad creation is a quick-and-easy solution to enhance any meal. Use the Maple-Thyme Baby Carrot recipe to add extra flavor and balance to this salad.

The buttery flaky crust complements tender-crisp pears in this easy pear pie. The pears keep their texture after baking, and the walnut streusel on top adds nutty flavor and texture.

The rich, nutty flavor of brown butter complements the delicate, briny crab in this recipe from The Dabney.

This delicious, versatile crust can also be made with hazelnuts, almonds or pecans.

This carrot cake recipe features cream cheese frosting with a twist. The addition of miso balances the sweetness of the frosting while adding a punch of umami flavor.

Zucchini bread gets an added burst of flavor with shredded orange peel, toasted walnuts, and chocolate chips. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so it makes a sweet little gift.

Baklava is a delicious, flaky dessert that is well worth the time to make. This recipe makes a big batch, but the two-bite pieces freeze like a dream.

Adjust these boozy, nut-stuffed, chocolate-dipped prunes to suit your taste buds. While prunes are traditional for the bite-size Greek treats, you can substitute apricots, dates or dried figs, or play with the flavor by using rum, cognac, amaretto or cherry liqueur in place of the whiskey.