This zesty Green Goddess Pesto Salad is loaded with vibrant green veggies and coated in a dairy free pesto dressing! The perfect Paleo side dish for a cookout.
Green Goddess Pesto Salad
Pesto is just about my favorite thing. I eat a really boring diet since I cook for just me and my dog, so I’m usually just making a homemade pesto and putting it own some ground turkey each night. And honestly? It’s lit. I first had pesto over salmon in a restaurant a few years ago. I’m pretty sure it had a sketchy vegetable-based oil in it, but I was definitely a fan of the herby goodness. It was worth the artery clog from the oil. (I promise I won’t make artery clog jokes anymore.) So I decided I needed to contribute to this world of pesto with a new, healthy version. And I did so with the love of my life — the avocado.
I put this same pesto on some egg sandwiches a few weeks back and it was such a hit that I figured it was time to introduce you guys to another way to enjoy this fabulous sauce. And since the 4th of July is upon us, what better than to make a salad to enjoy along side some burgers at a cookout? Now we’re talking.
What you’ll need to make this Pesto Salad:
This salad is a fairy simple recipe: you just make the dressing, roast up the veggies, pile it all together and you’re golden! And for ingredients you just need a bunch of healthy green things:
- Butter Lettuce
- Tomato
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Avocado
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Sea Salt
- Kale
Tips for making Green Goddess Pesto Salad:
- Don’t prep this one too far in advance so the lettuce doesn’t get too mushy
- You can prep the pesto dressing a few hours in advance, just keep it covered so it doesn’t brown
- I like to blanch the broccoli and zucchini so they are just slightly soft and easy to digest, but you can skip that if you’d like!
- You can get creative with the greens you throw into the pesto–anything goes! I love the taste cilantro adds, but you can swap it out for basil or other herbs of your choice, or make a mix of whatever you have on hand.
Other Paleo and Whole 30 Recipes for Cookouts:
Green Goddess Pesto Salad
This zesty Green Goddess Pesto Salad is loaded with vibrant green veggies and coated in a dairy free pesto dressing!
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
- 1 cup kale
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 small avocado
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Salad Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini sliced
- 1 cup fresh broccoli flourets
- 1 green heirloom tomato sliced
- 1 head butter lettuce washed and cut
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- lemon juice drizzle
- salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Add all of the pesto ingredients into a food processer and process on high for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and saute for 2-3 miutes to soften, then add zucchini to the skillet and saute for about 4 more minutes, or until lightly softened. Remove and set aside to cool.
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Place the butter lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes in a large bowl, then top with the cooled broccoli and zucchini. Drizzle the salad with lemon juice, salt, and papper, then top with the pesto dressing.
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