Celery Free Basil-Herb Kelp Noodle Salad
Bright, herby, and refreshingly light, this kelp noodle salad is the kind of dish that looks impressive but comes together with minimal effort. Kelp noodles get a quick soak in apple cider vinegar and cold water to soften them into silky, pliable strands that absorb flavor beautifully. The homemade pesto — built from fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon, and a warm hint of turmeric and ginger — is blended until vivid and smooth, coating every ribbon of zucchini and slice of cucumber in something genuinely crave-worthy. For anyone navigating a celery-free lifestyle, this recipe is a natural fit: every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify, with no hidden aromatics or sneaky additions to worry about. The whole thing is tossed together raw, which means the vegetables stay crisp and the pesto stays brilliantly green. A squeeze of lemon and a handful of torn basil at the end make it feel like something you'd order at a restaurant. It's the kind of salad that converts skeptics — the ones who think a bowl of noodles and vegetables can't possibly be satisfying — into true believers.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 12 oz kelp noodles
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 medium zucchini, shaved into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
- lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the kelp noodles under cold running water in a colander, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and enough cold water to submerge the noodles. Let them soak for 15 minutes, until noticeably softened and pliable.
- 2
While the noodles soak, combine the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, turmeric, ginger, and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse 5–6 times to roughly chop the herbs and garlic, then stream in the olive oil with the motor running and process until the pesto is smooth and bright green, about 30 seconds.
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