Artificial Food Coloring Free Cilantro-Lime Spinach Cashew Pesto
Bright, herby, and packed with fresh flavor, this vibrant green pesto is the kind of sauce that makes everything it touches taste more alive. Cilantro and baby spinach bring bold color and earthy depth, while raw cashews give the base a creamy, slightly nutty richness without any dairy. A generous hit of fresh lime juice and zest keeps things lively and tangy, and a pinch of cumin adds just enough warmth to make the whole thing feel a little unexpected. The entire thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses — no cooking, no fuss. For anyone navigating artificial dyes and synthetic additives, this recipe is a breath of fresh air: every single ingredient is a whole food you can recognize and trust. Toss it with pasta, spread it on flatbread, swirl it into grain bowls, or use it as a dipping sauce — it's endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed
- 1 cup baby spinach, loosely packed
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- ½ tsp lime zest
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin (optional)
- 2–3 tbsp water, as needed
Instructions
- 1
Add the cilantro, spinach, cashews, garlic, lime juice, and lime zest to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the cashews are broken down into small pieces.
- 2
With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream until the pesto comes together into a thick, slightly textured paste, about 20–30 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
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