Tree Nut Free Basil-Pesto Radish & Cucumber Salad
Bright, herby, and refreshingly crisp, this salad is the kind of thing you'll want to make on repeat all summer long. The star is a vibrant homemade pesto built entirely from fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil — no pine nuts, no walnuts, no nuts of any kind. That matters more than it might seem, because store-bought pesto almost always contains tree nuts, making it a frustrating off-limits condiment for anyone avoiding them. Here, you get all that lush, garden-green flavor without a single nut in sight. Thinly sliced cucumbers and radishes get a quick salt rest to draw out excess moisture, which means the pesto clings beautifully to every round instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. The result is cool and crunchy with a punchy, garlicky herb sauce that tastes far more complex than its short ingredient list suggests. Torn fresh basil scattered over the top at the end makes it look as good as it tastes.
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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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