Dairy Free Basil-Pesto Spinach Salad
Bright, herby, and packed with fresh vegetables, this spinach salad is the kind of dish that makes you genuinely excited about eating your greens. The star is a vibrant homemade pesto that skips the usual parmesan and pine nuts entirely — instead, tiger nuts bring a subtly sweet, nutty richness that blends beautifully with two full cups of fresh basil, garlic, and good olive oil. A pinch of turmeric adds a warm golden hue and a gentle earthiness that makes the dressing feel a little unexpected in the best way. Tossed with crisp baby spinach, cool cucumber half-moons, and paper-thin radish slices, every bite has texture, brightness, and serious flavor. Because the pesto comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, you're not spending a lot of time in the kitchen — just enough to make something that tastes genuinely homemade. Store-bought pesto almost always contains cheese, so blending your own here is the move if you're avoiding dairy without wanting to sacrifice depth or richness. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and torn fresh basil, and this salad is ready to steal the show.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ⅓ cup tiger nuts, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
For the salad
- 6 oz baby spinach (about 6 packed cups)
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the basil, tiger nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely ground and no large pieces remain.
- 2
With the processor running, stream in the olive oil in a slow, steady pour until the pesto is smooth and emulsified, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides, then add the lemon juice, salt, and turmeric. Pulse 3–4 more times until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt.
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