Coconut Free Cilantro-Lime Spinach Cashew Pesto
Bright, herby, and punchy with citrus, this vibrant green pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. Cilantro and baby spinach form the leafy base, while raw cashews lend a creamy, buttery richness without any dairy in sight. Fresh lime juice and zest keep the whole thing lively and bold, and a hint of cumin adds just enough warmth to make it feel a little unexpected. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting — a few pulses and a slow drizzle of olive oil is really all it takes to bring it together into a thick, spoonable sauce. Many store-bought pestos sneak in ingredients that can be hard to track down on a label, so making your own means you know exactly what's going in. Spoon it over grilled chicken, toss it with pasta, swirl it into grain bowls, or use it as a dip — it's genuinely one of those versatile sauces that earns a permanent spot in your fridge.
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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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