Paleo Basil-Pesto Spinach Salad

Total time15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

4.5

(15)

Fresh, vibrant, and packed with real-food ingredients, this spinach salad is the kind of dish that makes eating clean feel genuinely exciting rather than like a compromise. The star of the show is a homemade pesto that swaps out the usual pine nuts and parmesan for tiger nuts and a bright hit of lemon juice, keeping everything grain-free and dairy-free without sacrificing that rich, herbaceous depth. A pinch of turmeric adds a subtle warmth and a gorgeous golden hue to the dressing that you just don't get from a bottle. Crisp radishes and cool cucumber half-moons give the baby spinach some serious texture, so every forkful has a satisfying crunch. The pesto comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, which means you're not standing over a stove — just blending, tossing, and eating. It's the kind of recipe that works equally well as a light lunch or a stunning side at a dinner party, and the extra pesto keeps well if you want to drizzle it over proteins later in the week.

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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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