Paleo Basil-Pesto Endive Salad

Total time15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

4.9

(29)

This bright, fresh salad is everything you want when you're craving something light but genuinely satisfying — crisp endive leaves acting as natural little boats for a vibrant, herb-forward pesto. The homemade basil pesto skips the cheese and pine nuts entirely, relying instead on good olive oil, garlic, and a hit of lemon juice to deliver that bold, grassy flavor. It comes together in a food processor in under a minute, which means you're not standing over the stove — just blending, arranging, and eating. Thinly sliced radishes add a peppery crunch, and the lemon zest scattered over the top ties every bite together with a little citrus brightness. Because every ingredient here is whole and unprocessed, this is one of those recipes that fits a grain-free, legume-free lifestyle without any substitutions or workarounds — it just naturally lands that way. Serve it as a starter at a dinner party or as a weekday lunch and it looks far more impressive than the effort required.

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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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