Artificial Flavors Free Basil-Pesto Arugula Salad
This vibrant salad is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients — fresh basil, peppery arugula, crisp radishes, and cool cucumber — so every bite is clean, bright, and genuinely satisfying. The homemade pesto is the real star here, blending packed basil leaves, raw garlic, fresh lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil into a thick, spoonable sauce that tastes nothing like the jarred versions lining grocery store shelves. Tiger nut flour steps in as the base for the pesto, giving it body and a subtly nutty richness without any of the mystery additives you'd find in a processed alternative. Because everything is made from scratch in a food processor and tossed together in one bowl, you have complete control over what goes into the dish — no label-reading required. The lemon juice does double duty, brightening both the pesto and the salad dressing, so the whole thing feels cohesive and lively rather than thrown together. It comes together quickly, looks stunning on the table, and is the kind of salad that actually makes people go back for seconds.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp tiger nut flour
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the salad
- 5 oz baby arugula (about 6 cups loosely packed)
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- flaky sea salt, to taste
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the 2 cups packed basil leaves, garlic cloves, tiger nut flour, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and fine sea salt in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, stream in the 1/3 cup olive oil in a slow, steady pour until the pesto comes together into a thick, spoonable paste — it will be slightly textured, not completely smooth. Scrape down the sides and pulse once more to incorporate. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
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