Shellfish Free Basil-Pesto Endive Salad
This bright, herbaceous salad is exactly the kind of dish that looks like it took serious effort but comes together in minutes. A blender-fresh pesto — made with just basil, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — gets spooned right into crisp Belgian endive leaves, turning each one into its own little flavor-packed bite. The peppery crunch of thinly sliced radishes and fresh flat-leaf parsley add texture and color, while a hit of lemon zest and flaky sea salt tie everything together with a clean, zippy finish. It's naturally free from any ocean-sourced ingredients, so there's zero guesswork about what's in it — every component is straightforward and plant-based. Endive salads can sometimes feel fussy, but this one is genuinely approachable: just pulse the pesto, separate the leaves, and assemble on a platter. The result is elegant enough for a dinner party starter but easy enough to throw together on a weeknight when you want something fresh and a little unexpected.
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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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