Shellfish Free Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
This vibrant salad is a celebration of fresh, garden-forward flavors — crisp cucumber rounds and peppery radish slices brought together by a bright, herb-packed basil pesto that you blitz right in the food processor. The quick salt-and-rest step draws out excess moisture from the vegetables first, so the pesto clings beautifully to every slice instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. That homemade pesto — built from fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil — is loose, vivid, and nothing like the jarred stuff sitting on a shelf. The whole thing comes together with almost no cooking, making it an ideal choice when you want something impressive without turning on the stove. For anyone navigating shellfish concerns, this recipe is naturally worry-free from start to finish: every ingredient is straightforward, plant-based, and easy to verify. Scatter a few torn basil leaves over the top before serving and it looks like something straight off a restaurant menu.
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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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