Pork Free Basil-Pesto Arugula Salad

Total time15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

4.6

(7)

Fresh, vibrant, and completely plant-based in its building blocks, this arugula salad is the kind of dish that looks impressive but comes together with minimal effort. The star is a homemade basil pesto that skips the usual pine nuts in favor of tiger nut flour, giving it a subtly nutty, creamy texture without any animal-derived ingredients sneaking in. Peppery arugula, crisp radishes, and cool cucumber slices form the base, and a quick drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice keeps everything bright before the pesto ties it all together. Because every component is made from scratch right in your kitchen, there are no label-reading headaches or hidden ingredients to worry about. The pesto itself is thick and spoonable — deeply herby with a hit of garlic and lemon — and it clings beautifully to the greens rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Serve it immediately for the best texture, or prep the pesto ahead and toss the salad just before eating. It works as a light lunch, a dinner starter, or a side that genuinely steals the show.

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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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