Mediterranean Diet Friendly Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
Crisp cucumbers and peppery radishes get an upgrade here with a vibrant, herb-forward pesto that comes together in minutes. The sauce skips the pine nuts and cheese entirely — it's built on fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil, which means it's as clean and bright as a dressing can get. That combination of ingredients sits squarely at the heart of Mediterranean eating: good olive oil, fresh herbs, and vegetables that actually taste like something. Salting the cucumbers and radishes before dressing them is a small but smart step — it draws out excess moisture so the pesto clings rather than pools at the bottom of the bowl. The result is a salad with real texture and a sauce that coats every slice in that gorgeous, coarse green. It works beautifully as a light lunch, a side alongside grilled fish or chicken, or something to bring to a table where you want people to ask what's in it.
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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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