PCOS Friendly Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
Crisp cucumber and peppery radish are a natural pairing, and coating them in a vibrant homemade basil pesto takes this salad somewhere genuinely exciting. The pesto skips pine nuts and cheese entirely, leaning instead on fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil — a combination that's bright, herbaceous, and deeply satisfying without any of the inflammatory ingredients that can make hormone balance harder to manage. That quick salt-and-rest step for the vegetables is a small but smart move, drawing out excess moisture so the pesto clings to every slice instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Olive oil and fresh garlic bring anti-inflammatory benefits that genuinely support the kind of whole-food approach that works well for managing symptoms long-term. The whole thing comes together in one food processor and one bowl, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying your food. Scatter a few torn basil leaves over the top before serving and it looks like something you'd order at a restaurant — no one needs to know how easy it was.
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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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