Nutmeg Free Basil-Pesto Endive Salad

Total time15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

4.9

(29)

Bright, bitter endive leaves act as natural little scoops here, each one dressed with a vivid homemade basil pesto that comes together in under a minute in the food processor. The pesto itself is beautifully simple — fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt — so there are no hidden spice blends or pre-mixed seasonings to second-guess. That matters more than you might think, since warming spices like nutmeg have a way of sneaking into store-bought dressings and pesto jars where you'd least expect them. Making it from scratch here means you know exactly what's going in. Thinly sliced radishes add a satisfying crunch and a pop of color, while fresh parsley and a hit of lemon zest keep everything tasting clean and lively. The whole thing comes together on a platter in minutes and looks genuinely impressive — the kind of salad that disappears fast at a dinner party without anyone realizing how little effort it took.

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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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