Hazelnut Free Spinach & Avocado Pesto
Bright, creamy, and packed with fresh flavor, this blended green sauce is the kind of thing you'll want to put on absolutely everything. Baby spinach and ripe avocado form a lush, velvety base while fresh basil keeps it tasting unmistakably like pesto — just without any nuts in sight. That's actually the beauty of this recipe: traditional pesto often calls for pine nuts or gets made on shared equipment alongside tree nuts like hazelnuts, so a fully nut-free version made at home is a genuine relief. The garlic and lemon juice give it a bright, punchy backbone, and the optional fresh ginger adds a subtle warmth that makes the whole thing feel a little more interesting. A slow drizzle of good olive oil brings it all together into something silky and spoonable. It comes together in a single blender or food processor in just a few pulses, which means weeknight dinners just got a serious upgrade. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, or use it as a dip — this one earns its place in regular rotation.
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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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