Spinach Pesto (Vegan and Nut-Free)
Last Updated on August 26, 2022 by Annie
This incredibly easy, nut-free vegan spinach pesto is a must-make summer sauce! With just 5-ingredients all you need to do is blend and enjoy. Perfect for tossing on pasta, slathering on warm bread, or using in a tomato galette this dairy-free spinach pesto will be your favorite go-to recipe!
Of all the sauces WHY does pesto have to have dairy?!? Seriously?? It’s such a sneaky add-in that typically makes the sauce of summer a no-go for me. Since going dairy-free I have been on the quest for a pesto that is not only dairy-free but also easy to make. Enter spinach pesto.
This spinach pesto packs in everything you love about a simple summer pesto but leaves out the dairy and tree-nuts making it the perfect allergy-friendly pesto for pizzas, pasta, and more!
Why We LOVE This Vegan Spinach Pesto
- Packed with fresh green veggies. We’re talking a cup of spinach per serving!
- We couldn’t just stop at dairy-free here we went all out and made this a vegan and nut-free pesto making it perfect for most diets.
- One blender recipe. You know I loathe a sink full of dishes so this simple pesto recipe keeps the dishes at a minimum.
- 5 easy ingredients. With half you probably already have in your pantry, it’s easy to grab what you need to make this fresh pesto.
Now that you know why this recipe needs to be on your summer rotation, let’s get to blending and enjoying this vegan spinach pesto!
How to Make Spinach Pesto
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Spinach- I would use fresh, washed, spinach for this pesto recipe.
- Garlic- Whole, peeled pods of fresh garlic work best in this recipe.
- Basil- Can we really call this pesto without adding in some basil??
- Salt- Adds a little flavor.
- Olive Oil- Helps blend this pesto into a smooth, spreadable sauce.
Directions
Add spinach into a food processor or blender and pulse to make room for the remaining ingredients.
Next add in peeled garlic pods, fresh basil, salt, and olive oil. Blend on high about 30 seconds then scrape down the sides to make sure all of the larger pieces have mixed in and blend again.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Changes to Spinach Pesto
Just a few small tweaks turn this into a delightfully vegan and nut-free pesto perfect for every diet!
- Omit the cheese. Many pesto recipes use parmesan cheese in the sauce, this recipe not only does not include parm, we also didn’t use a parm substitute.
- No nooch. We skipped nutritional yeast because it didn’t add much to the flavor, just wanted to keep it pretty simple here. *Note- nutritional yeast is a vegan ingredient and therefore does not contain dairy but some vegan pesto recipes include it and we decided not to.
- Omit the pine nuts. Another change to ensure this recipe was nut-free was omitting the pine nuts.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Here are just a few of the tools I used in my kitchen with this simple spinach pesto recipe.
- High Powered Blender– This high powered blender is great for getting the spinach and pesto to a small saucy texture.
- Glass Mason Jars– For storing the pesto after it is made.
Storage Tips
Once you have made your vegan pesto, there are a few different ways you can store and keep the pesto.
- Refrigerate- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze- Keep pesto in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month and transfer to the fridge to thaw before using.
- Alternative Freezer Method- Freeze pesto in an ice cube tray. After about 2 hours transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 1 month.
Serving Suggestions for Spinach Pesto
You have fresh pesto but no clue what to do with it… We’ve been there too. Here are just a few different ways we have been enjoying this vegan spinach pesto.
- Pasta- Toss your favorite pasta with this pesto and enjoy!
- Bread- Dip your favorite fresh bread in the pesto for an excellent appetizer.
- Pizza- Use the pesto as a pizza sauce, top with fresh sliced tomatoes, diced chicken, and drizzle with olive oil after baking… YUMMM (Should we make this and get it up on the site this summer?? Let me know in the comments below!)
More Delicious Summer Recipes
If you tried this delicious Spinach Pesto and enjoyed it feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
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Spinach Pesto (Vegan and Nut-Free)
This spinach pesto packs in everything you love about a simple summer pesto but leave out the dairy and tree-nuts making it the perfect allergy friendly pesto for pizzas, pasta, and more!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Spinach
- 5 pods Garlic peeled
- 1½ cups Fresh Basil
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Olive Oil
Instructions
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Add 5 cups of spinach into a food processor or blender and pulse to make room for the remaining ingredients.
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Next add in 5 peeled garlic pods, 1½ cups fresh basil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup olive oil.
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Blend on high about 30 seconds then scrape down the sides to make sure all of the larger pieces have mixed in and blend again.
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Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Serving Suggestions
- Refrigerate- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze- Keep pesto in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month and transfer to the fridge to thaw before using.
- Alternative Freezer Method- Freeze pesto in an ice cube tray. After about 2 hours transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 1 month.
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