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Want pesto, but allergic to nuts? No problem! Try one (or all) of these variations of pesto this year when you find yourself with an abundance of basil. Great with pasta, grilled meat or even just dolloped on top of a salad. These nut-free pestos are so versatile! Looking for a more basic nut-free pesto? I got you here.

Nut-free Pesto (3 ways!)

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Author: Mansee
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: ~ 1 cup (each batch)

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

Coconut-jalapeno pesto:

3 cups basil leaves
1 cup cilantro
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 jalapeno
1 garlic clove
2-inch piece of ginger
¾ teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lime
½ cup avocado oil (or any other neutral oil)

Broccoli parmesan pesto:

3 cups basil leaves
1 cup broccoli florets, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
⅓ - ½ cup parmesan, finely grated
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Power greens pesto:

2 cups basil leaves
2 cups baby arugula
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups kale leaves
½ cup sunflower seeds
2 garlic cloves
⅔ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Coconut Jalapeno Pesto:

Pulse basil, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, ginger and coconut until everything is finely chopped.
Run processor on low and pour in oil and then coconut milk. Mix until combined.
Add salt and lime zest and pulse to combine.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Broccoli Parmesan Pesto:

Pulse basil, broccoli and garlic until finely chopped.
Run processor on low and add parmesan, oil, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Mix until fully combined.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Power Greens Pesto:

Pulse basil, arugula, spinach and kale until finely chopped (you might have to do this a little at a time until it all fits).
Add sunflower seeds and garlic and pulse to combine.
With processor on low, add olive oil and salt and mix to combine.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

I like to keep my pesto a little dry because I tend to add more oil as I'm cooking (pasta, baked fish, etc.) and I don't want the finished dish to be too oily. Feel free to add a couple tablespoons more oil to any of these until it's a consistency you like.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

How was your weekend? Did you do all the things you wanted to do? Or did you do nothing and then realize that was exactly all you wanted to do?

There's no wrong way to weekend. I hope you know that.

ANYWAY. Today, we're talking pesto! Specifically, three different types of pesto that forgo some of the traditional ingredients you're used to.

I developed my weird nut allergy later in life ( I say "weird" because it's not as serious as nut allergies normally are), but it's been interesting figuring out what foods to stay away from. Like, I obviously don't mess with peanut butter in any form. But pesto? Sometimes it has nuts (pine nuts, normally) and sometimes it doesn't!

I just choose to avoid it at all restaurants and make sure to read all labels really carefully if I ever pick some up at the store. It's not a huge inconvenience, but it does motivate me to make homemade pesto more and more. Now that my basil has officially gotten out of control, I'm all sorts of motivated.

Nut allergies aside, two of these pesto variations have no cheese so if you're plant-based I hope you give one a try. And if you're totally fine eating both pine nuts AND cheese? Maybe try one anyway! Have you seen how expensive pine nuts are??

While I do have a more basic nut-free pesto recipe, these are some fun flavor variations that I LOVE. Each one is great in its own right, and uses ingredients you may already have on hand!

So, here's the lineup:

Coconut Jalapeño Pesto

A teensy bit spicy, this pesto gives a fun kick to whatever you put it on. The coconut provides that texture you love, but without the traditional nuts OR cheese (hi, vegan friends!). I love this the most on seafood, but it's great on chicken and pork too.

Broccoli Parmesan Pesto

This is the one you want on your noodles. All that parmesan makes for a creamy, perfectly salty pasta situation. It's also the one I was most excited to put together because I got the idea to use broccoli instead of nuts from an episode of Chopped JUNIOR. Those kids really are our future, man.

Power Greens Pesto

The one where I put ALL THE GREENS into our pesto. Kale + spinach + arugula + basil (duh). Sunflower seeds add the crunch (this one is also vegan!) and make it perfect for almost anything. I go 100% healthy with this one around, and love stirring it into zoodles. I've also been using it when doing a variation of this white beans and zucchini recipe from Smitten Kitchen, and I highly, highly recommend.

All three stay well in the fridge for a while, so they are great to prep over the weekend and use for easy dinners throughout the week. I tend to keep food around for longer than I should, but I promise you all of these will be fine for over a week. And since I assume you won't be making all three at the same time (unless, you too, have a food blog) it'll go pretty fast.

So there ya go! A whole bunch of pesto to use up all that basil taking over your life right now.

You're welcome.

Nut-free pesto (3 ways!)