Alpha Gal Friendly Basil-Pesto Endive Salad
This bright, plant-forward salad is exactly the kind of dish that feels effortless to pull together yet looks genuinely impressive on the table. Crisp Belgian endive leaves act as natural little boats, each one cradling a spoonful of vivid homemade pesto made entirely from fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, and lemon — nothing more. For anyone navigating alpha-gal syndrome, store-bought pestos and dressings can be a minefield of hidden animal-derived additives, but every single ingredient here is straightforwardly plant-based and easy to verify. The food processor does the heavy lifting on the pesto, blending it into something smooth and brilliantly green in under a minute. Thinly sliced radishes add a peppery crunch, fresh parsley keeps things herbaceous, and a final scatter of lemon zest and flaky salt pulls the whole platter together. It's the kind of recipe you'll want to make for a weeknight dinner and a dinner party in the same week.
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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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