Pregnancy 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 dressing skips pine nuts and cheese entirely — it's built on fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil, so you get all that bright, garden flavor without any of the ingredients that can feel risky or off-limits during pregnancy. That quick salt-and-rest step draws out excess moisture from the vegetables first, which means the pesto actually clings to every slice instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. The result is a salad that's genuinely refreshing — cool, a little sharp from the radishes, and lifted by that punchy lemon-herb sauce. It's the kind of dish that works as a light lunch, a side at dinner, or something to pull together when you want something nourishing that doesn't require much effort at all. Scatter a few torn basil leaves over the top before serving and it looks like something from a restaurant spread.
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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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