Seeds Free Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
This bright, herb-forward salad is the kind of dish that looks like it took serious effort but comes together in minutes with nothing more than a food processor and a handful of fresh ingredients. Crisp cucumber rounds and peppery radish slices get a quick salt rest to draw out their liquid, which means every bite stays vibrant and never watery once the dressing goes on. The real star is the pesto — a loose, coarse blend of fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil that coats each slice in a vivid, grassy sauce. Traditional pesto recipes often call for pine nuts or other seeds that can make this style of dressing off-limits, but this version skips them entirely without sacrificing any of the richness or depth you'd expect. The olive oil does the heavy lifting here, giving the sauce that silky, spoonable texture while the lemon juice keeps everything tasting clean and lively. It's an ideal make-ahead side for warm-weather meals, and the torn basil scattered on top at the end adds a finishing touch that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy.
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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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