Pesto is doing way too much work in my kitchen right now, and this is definitely because over the summer, I acquired quite a bit of fresh basil. Some of it I had to truly use in any way but fresh, as it was gifted from plants that had gone to seed (since basil and most herbs actually become bitter in flavor once a plant has gone to seed, its not good as raw leaf-age anymore). Others were from an over-abundance of my own plant’s ability to really soak up the heat; so much that it just couldn’t stop growing upwards and outwards. This little salad is proof – by choice and by sheer need – that pesto belongs on more than just pasta. I make a batch then build whatever’s available, canned or jarred or fresh. This time that meant jarred artichokes, canned black olives, and a pile of cherry tomatoes that were starting to reach the over-ripe stage.
The pesto itself comes together in a food processor in about 5 minutes and its one of my absolute favorites. Basil, nutritional yeast, pine nuts (or whatever nut you’ve got, as walnuts and almonds both work), garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil drizzled in slowly at the end. No cheese, no substitute pretending to be cheese, just nutritional yeast doing what it does best. I’ve made this recipe a million bazillion times, and it never gets old!
Once the pesto’s done, the salad is just chop + assembly. Halved or quartered Artichoke hearts, halved cherry tomatoes, halved black olives, sliced and halved cucumber, diced red onion, all tossed together and coated in that gorgeous fresh pesto until nothing’s left dry. Garnish with a few basil leaves because it looks pretty, and you did that thing!
This is a dish I recommend making and then eating immediately personally, but if you know you’re making a big batch don’t mix in the pesto and don’t add the cucumbers until you’re going to eat, and it’ll be meal prep-able. The pesto will darkens a little as it sits, which is normal (like the stuff in jars at grocery stores), and luckily it still tastes like it should. Make it ahead for lunches, bring it to something, or just eat it standing at the counter — I won’t judge, I’ve done the same.
I will note here that this is a brine-forward tasting salad. The olives and artichoke hearts do a lot of work on the sodium side and so if you are not a fan of brine-y flavors, add in a little extra lemon directly and that should help to lift and cover up the brine aspect that can come from shelf friendly staples. I personally could eat an entire can of black olives without a single thought about it, so if that relates more to you this might just be your next favorite go to!
Artichoke, Olive & Pesto Salad
Equipment
- Food processor (for the pesto)
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the vegan basil pesto (makes ~1 cup):
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts/almonds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the salad:
- 2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 6 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- 1/2 cucumber chopped
- 1/4 red onion diced
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
Make the pesto:
- Add the basil, nutritional yeast, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you hit the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper.
Build the salad:
- Add the artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, black olives, cucumber, and red onion to a large bowl.
- Pour in the pesto and toss until everything’s coated.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
Optional add-ins: white beans or chickpeas if you want more protein in the mix.
Storage: pesto keeps up to 5 days refrigerated (top with a thin layer of olive oil), or freeze for up to 3 months. The assembled salad is best immediately.