Seed Oil Free Basil-Pesto Endive Salad
Bright, bitter endive leaves act as natural little scoops here, making this salad as fun to eat as it is beautiful to look at. The homemade basil pesto is the real star — blitzed together with fresh garlic, lemon juice, and a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil, it comes out vivid green and intensely fragrant. Using only olive oil keeps everything completely free of the refined seed oils that sneak into so many store-bought pestos and dressings. Thin-sliced radishes add a satisfying crunch and a peppery bite that plays perfectly against the creamy, herby pesto. A scatter of flat-leaf parsley and a hit of lemon zest lift the whole thing with a fresh, citrusy finish, while flaky sea salt ties every element together. It's the kind of dish that looks like you spent a lot of effort but comes together in minutes with nothing more than a food processor and a platter.
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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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