Barley Free Spinach & Avocado Pesto
This vibrant green sauce is everything a great pesto should be — bright, creamy, and packed with fresh flavor from baby spinach, basil, and ripe avocado. The avocado replaces the traditional pine nut base, giving the finished sauce a luxuriously smooth, buttery texture without any grains or grain-derived thickeners sneaking in. Every ingredient here is naturally whole and unprocessed, so you can blend with confidence knowing exactly what's going into the jar. A hit of fresh lemon juice keeps the color vivid and the flavor lively, while a optional grating of ginger adds a subtle warmth that makes this pesto feel a little unexpected in the best way. The food processor does all the heavy lifting — just pulse, drizzle, and thin to your preferred consistency. Spoon it over pasta, swirl it into soups, spread it on toast, or use it as a dip; it's endlessly versatile and comes together in minutes. Store it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and it stays gorgeous and fresh.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and scooped
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2–4 tbsp water, as needed to thin
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the baby spinach, avocado, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and ginger (if using) to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
- 2
Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is roughly broken down and no large pieces remain.
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