Walnut Free Basil-Pesto Spinach Salad

Total time15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time0 min

4.5

(15)

Fresh, vibrant, and packed with herby flavor, this spinach salad is the kind of dish that makes you genuinely excited about eating your greens. The real star is the homemade pesto, which skips pine nuts and walnuts entirely in favor of tiger nuts — a small but mighty swap that keeps the creamy, nutty texture you want without any of the tree-nut worry. A touch of turmeric and bright lemon juice give the dressing an unexpected depth that store-bought pesto simply can't match. Crisp radishes and cool cucumber slices add crunch and freshness to every forkful of baby spinach. The pesto comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, so there's minimal effort between you and a seriously satisfying bowl. Dress it lightly or go all in — the recipe lets you add pesto tablespoon by tablespoon until it's exactly right for your taste. Serve it immediately with a squeeze of lemon and a scatter of torn basil for a finish that looks as good as it tastes.

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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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