Carrageenan Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Most store-bought pestos and jarred sauces sneak in stabilizers and thickeners ā carrageenan being one of the most common culprits ā so making your own is genuinely the smartest move. This bright, herbaceous blend comes together entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients: fresh basil, briny green olives, garlic, lemon, and good extra-virgin olive oil. The olives are the real secret here, standing in for the traditional pine nuts and adding a savory, buttery depth that makes this pesto feel rich without any dairy at all. A splash of lemon juice and a little zest keep everything tasting alive and vibrant rather than flat. The food processor does the heavy lifting ā a few pulses, a slow drizzle of olive oil, and you're done. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, or spoon it over roasted vegetables; it works beautifully in just about any direction you take it. Store it in a sealed jar and you've got a clean, flavorful condiment on hand whenever you need it.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ā cup pitted green olives
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā½ tsp lemon zest
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Ā½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1ā2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the basil leaves, green olives, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8ā10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, processing until the pesto is smooth with a few flecks of texture remaining ā about 20ā30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate.
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