Carrageenan Free Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
This vibrant salad is a celebration of fresh, clean ingredients — crisp cucumber rounds and peppery radishes coated in a bright, herb-forward pesto that you blend yourself from scratch. That homemade element is exactly what makes it such a smart choice when you're avoiding additives like carrageenan, which often sneaks into store-bought dressings and pre-made sauces as a thickener or stabilizer. Here, every ingredient is straightforward and whole: fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — nothing processed, nothing hidden. Salting the vegetables before dressing them is a clever little technique that draws out excess moisture so the pesto clings beautifully rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. The result is punchy, herby, and refreshing — the kind of salad that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did. Torn basil scattered over the top at the end keeps the color vivid and the flavor lively all the way to the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
For the salad
- 2 medium english cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 bunch radishes (about 10–12), thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the cucumber rounds and sliced radishes in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, toss to coat, and let stand for 10 minutes until the vegetables release some of their liquid.
- 2
While the vegetables rest, combine the basil leaves, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the herbs are roughly chopped.
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