Walnut Free Basil-Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad
This vibrant, no-cook salad is everything you want on a warm day — fresh, bright, and loaded with herby flavor from a silky homemade pesto. The sauce comes together in a blender with basil, parsley, garlic, lemon, and good olive oil, so there's no pine nut or tree nut of any kind in sight. Many store-bought pestos sneak in walnuts as a cheaper swap, which makes this from-scratch version a genuinely smart move for anyone navigating that concern. Spiralized zucchini stands in for pasta beautifully, especially after a quick salt-and-squeeze step that keeps the noodles from turning watery and diluting all that gorgeous green sauce. Kalamata olives and crisp cucumber round out the salad with briny, cool contrast that makes every forkful interesting. A final drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of torn basil leaves take it from weeknight easy to dinner-party worthy without any extra effort.
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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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