Low Sugar Basil-Pesto Endive Salad
This salad is a study in bright, clean flavors — bitter endive leaves, peppery radish, and a vivid homemade basil pesto that comes together in a food processor in under a minute. Every component is completely free of added sugar, which sounds simple until you realize how many store-bought dressings and pestos sneak it in. Here, the dressing is just fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt — nothing hidden, nothing unnecessary. The endive leaves double as natural scoops, making this as fun to eat as it is elegant to serve. A scatter of thinly sliced radishes and fresh parsley adds crunch and color, while lemon zest ties the whole platter together with a fragrant citrus lift. It's the kind of dish that looks like it took real effort but rewards you with almost zero cleanup and a genuinely impressive result.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 oz fresh basil leaves (about 2 packed cups)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the salad
- 3 medium heads belgian endive (about 12 oz total)
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Combine the basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice, and fine sea salt in a food processor. Pulse 6–8 times until the basil is roughly chopped and the garlic is minced.
- 2
With the processor running, stream in the olive oil in a slow, steady pour until the pesto is smooth and bright green, about 20–30 seconds. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice as needed.
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