Wheat Free Cilantro-Lime Spinach Cashew Pesto
This vibrant, herb-forward pesto is a serious upgrade from the jarred stuff, with bright cilantro, tender baby spinach, and creamy cashews blending into something that tastes genuinely fresh and alive. The lime juice and zest give it a citrusy punch that keeps every bite lively, while the olive oil pulls everything into a silky, spoonable sauce. Because the entire recipe is built around whole, naturally grain-free ingredients, there's no need to swap anything out or hunt for specialty products — it's simply wheat-free by design. Raw cashews do the heavy lifting here, standing in for pine nuts and delivering a buttery richness that makes the texture feel indulgent without being heavy. A pinch of cumin is optional but highly recommended if you want a subtle warmth that ties the cilantro and lime together beautifully. Toss it with zucchini noodles, spoon it over grilled chicken, stir it into rice, or use it as a dipping sauce — this pesto is endlessly versatile and comes together in just a few pulses of the food processor.
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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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