Pork Free Basil-Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad
Bright, herby, and refreshingly light, this zucchini noodle salad is the kind of dish that looks impressive but comes together with minimal effort. Spiralized zucchini stands in for pasta, giving you long, satisfying strands that soak up every bit of the vibrant homemade pesto. That pesto is the real star — blitzed together from fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil, it's dairy-free and completely from scratch, so you know exactly what's in it. Kalamata olives and crisp cucumber add briny, cool contrast that keeps each bite interesting. The salting-and-squeezing step for the zucchini is a small but crucial move that prevents the whole bowl from turning watery, and it makes a noticeable difference in texture. Every ingredient here is naturally free of pork and pork-derived products, so there's no label-scanning or substitution required — just clean, whole-food cooking. Finish it with torn basil and a drizzle of olive oil and you've got a salad that's as beautiful as it is satisfying.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the zucchini noodles
- 4 medium zucchini (about 2 lb total)
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt, divided
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the salad
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup thinly sliced english cucumber
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving (optional)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Spiralize the zucchini into long noodles using a spiralizer, or cut into thin ribbons with a julienne peeler. Place the noodles in a colander set over the sink, toss with 1/2 tsp of the sea salt, and let stand for 10 minutes until the zucchini releases some of its moisture.
- 2
While the zucchini drains, combine the basil leaves, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp sea salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse 6–8 times until the herbs are roughly chopped.
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