Celery Free Basil-Pesto Endive Salad
This bright, elegant salad is the kind of dish that looks like it came from a restaurant but comes together with minimal effort and a handful of fresh ingredients. The homemade pesto is blended entirely from basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt — no nuts, no cheese, no celery in sight — so every element is completely transparent and easy to trust. Crisp Belgian endive leaves act as natural little vessels, each one cradling a spoonful of vivid green pesto that clings beautifully to the leaf. Thinly sliced radishes add a peppery crunch, while fresh parsley and a hit of lemon zest keep the whole thing tasting clean and lively. It's a genuinely stunning platter to set on the table, whether you're hosting a dinner party or just treating yourself to something a little more special on a weeknight. The fact that it's naturally free from celery and celery-derived ingredients — no seeds, no salt blends, no hidden stocks — makes it a reliable go-to when you need a crowd-pleasing starter without the label-reading stress.
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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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