Wheat Free Basil-Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad
Bright, herby, and refreshingly light, this zucchini noodle salad is the kind of dish that makes you forget you're not eating pasta — in the best possible way. Spiralized zucchini stands in for wheat-based noodles, so there's no flour, no semolina, and nothing to second-guess on the ingredient list. The homemade pesto is blended from scratch using fresh basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil, which means you're completely in control of what goes into it — no store-bought sauces with hidden additives to worry about. Salting the zucchini first and squeezing out the excess moisture is the key step that keeps everything from turning watery, giving you noodles that actually hold up when tossed with the pesto. Kalamata olives and thin-sliced English cucumber add briny, crisp contrast that makes every bite interesting. It comes together in one bowl with minimal cleanup, and the vivid green color alone is enough to make it the star of any table. Finish it with torn fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil and it looks like something you'd order at a restaurant.
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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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