Wheat Free Basil-Pesto Kale Salad

Total time25 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time0 min

4.9

(4)

This vibrant kale salad is the kind of dish that makes you genuinely excited to eat your greens. Massaging the kale with sea salt is the secret move here — it breaks down the tough fibers so every leaf turns silky, deeply flavored, and far more enjoyable than raw kale has any right to be. The homemade pesto is blended entirely from fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon, and olive oil, so there's no pasta, no breadcrumbs, and absolutely nothing derived from wheat hiding in the sauce. A pinch of turmeric gives the dressing a subtle warmth and a gorgeous golden-green hue that makes the whole bowl look like it belongs on a restaurant menu. Thinly sliced radishes add a satisfying peppery crunch that plays beautifully against the creamy, herbaceous coating on the kale. It comes together in one food processor and one bowl, which means cleanup is as easy as the cooking. Finish it with torn fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon, and you've got a salad that holds up well enough to pack for lunch the next day.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the salad

2 bunches curly or lacinato kale (about 10 oz), stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
½ tsp fine sea salt, divided
4 radishes, thinly sliced

For the pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp ground turmeric

For serving

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving (optional)
lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the torn kale leaves in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the sea salt. Using both hands, massage the kale firmly for 2–3 minutes until the leaves darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about half.
2
Combine the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, turmeric, and remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse 5–6 times until the herbs are roughly chopped.

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