Dairy Free Cilantro-Lime Spinach Cashew Pesto
Bright, herby, and packed with bold citrus flavor, this cashew-based pesto is the kind of sauce that makes everything it touches taste more exciting. Raw cashews do the heavy lifting here — blended down in a food processor, they create a rich, creamy body that mimics the texture of traditional cheese-forward pesto without a single drop of dairy. Fresh cilantro and baby spinach bring vibrant color and a grassy depth, while lime juice and zest cut through with just enough acidity to keep things lively. A touch of garlic and optional cumin round out the flavor into something that feels both familiar and completely its own. The whole thing comes together in one bowl of your food processor, making cleanup as easy as the prep. Drizzle it over grain bowls, toss it with pasta, spread it on flatbread, or use it as a dipping sauce — it's genuinely versatile in the best way. If you've ever felt like dairy-free cooking means sacrificing richness, this pesto is a very convincing argument otherwise.
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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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