Seed Oil Free Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
Crisp cucumbers and peppery radishes get an herby makeover here, dressed in a vibrant homemade pesto that comes together in minutes. The real win for anyone avoiding industrial seed oils is that the dressing is built entirely around extra-virgin olive oil — no canola, no sunflower, no mystery blends hiding in a store-bought bottle. Fresh basil and parsley do the heavy lifting on flavor, with a squeeze of lemon brightening everything into something that tastes genuinely restaurant-worthy. Salting the vegetables first and letting them rest draws out excess moisture, so the pesto clings to every slice instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. The result is cool, crunchy, and deeply savory with a little bite from the radishes cutting through the richness of the olive oil. It works beautifully as a light lunch on its own or alongside grilled proteins, and it comes together fast enough to be a weeknight staple.
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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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