Yeast Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Bright, herby, and punchy with briny green olive flavor, this pesto is a brilliant alternative to the classic cheese-and-pine-nut version ā and it happens to be completely free of yeast and fermented ingredients. Many store-bought pestos and condiments sneak in additives or preservatives that can be tricky to vet, so blending your own at home puts you fully in control. The combination of packed fresh basil, pitted green olives, and raw garlic creates a bold, savory base, while fresh lemon juice and zest lift everything with a clean brightness that keeps it from feeling heavy. A slow drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil brings it all together into a silky, spoonable sauce with just enough texture to feel rustic and real. Optional fresh parsley adds an extra layer of green, grassy flavor if you want to stretch the herb profile even further. Toss it with pasta, spread it on flatbread, dollop it over roasted vegetables, or use it as a dipping sauce ā this one is endlessly versatile and comes together in just a few pulses of the food processor.
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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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