Pescatarian Basil-Pesto Cucumber Salad

Total time30 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time0 min

4.7

(11)

Crisp cucumbers meet a vibrant, herb-forward pesto in a salad that feels both refreshing and surprisingly bold. The homemade pesto comes together quickly in a blender — fresh basil and parsley blitzed with garlic, lemon juice, and a touch of turmeric that gives the sauce a gorgeous golden-green glow. Salting the cucumbers first and letting them drain is a small but smart step that keeps the whole dish from turning watery, so every bite stays bright and punchy rather than diluted. This is the kind of recipe that proves plant-forward eating doesn't have to mean sacrificing depth of flavor — the garlic and lemon do serious work here. It's naturally free of meat and any seafood, making it an effortless fit for a pescatarian table without any substitutions required. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a handful of torn basil, and it looks like something you'd order at a nice restaurant. Serve it immediately while the cucumbers are still crisp and the pesto is at its most vivid.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the salad

2 large english cucumbers
½ tsp fine sea salt

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 fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp ground turmeric

For serving

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)

Instructions

1
Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds or use a vegetable peeler to cut them into long ribbons, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a colander set over the sink, toss with 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, and let stand for 10 minutes until the cucumbers have released some liquid. Pat dry with paper towels.
2
Combine the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, and turmeric in a food processor or blender. Pulse 5–6 times until the herbs are roughly chopped.

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