Turmeric Free Basil-Pesto Arugula Salad

Total time15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

4.6

(7)

This vibrant salad is a celebration of fresh, green flavors — peppery arugula, crisp radishes, and cool cucumber all brought together with a homemade basil pesto that's bright, garlicky, and deeply satisfying. The pesto skips pine nuts and uses tiger nut flour instead, which gives it a subtle body and a slightly nutty richness without any of the usual suspects that can sneak unwanted ingredients onto your plate. A double hit of lemon juice — once in the pesto, once in the salad dressing — keeps everything tasting clean and lively from the first bite to the last. Because every component is made from scratch with whole, simple ingredients, you stay in complete control of what goes into the bowl. Turmeric has a way of hiding in spice blends, store-bought dressings, and even pre-made pestos, so blending your own here is genuinely the smartest move. The whole thing comes together quickly and is best served right away, when the arugula is still perky and the pesto is freshly made. It works beautifully as a starter, a light lunch, or a side that easily 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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