PCOS Friendly Basil-Pesto Arugula Salad
Bright, peppery arugula meets a vibrant homemade pesto in a salad that feels indulgent but is built entirely from ingredients that support hormone balance. The dressing skips the usual pine nuts and parmesan in favor of tiger nut flour, which lends a subtle nuttiness and keeps the whole bowl grain-free and dairy-free — two things that matter when you're managing inflammation and blood sugar. Extra-virgin olive oil shows up twice, in both the pesto and the salad toss, delivering the kind of healthy fats that are genuinely helpful for hormonal health rather than just trendy. Crisp cucumber and thinly sliced radishes add crunch and freshness, while two hits of lemon juice keep everything tasting clean and lively. The pesto comes together in a food processor in minutes and makes more than you need for one salad, so you'll have extra on hand for the week. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive on the table but asks very little of you in the kitchen.
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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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