Peanut 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 nuts entirely, giving the sauce its lush, velvety body without any tree nut or peanut involvement whatsoever. That makes it a genuinely safe and delicious option for anyone navigating nut allergies, since every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. A hit of fresh lemon juice and garlic keeps things punchy, while the optional ginger adds a subtle warmth that makes this pesto feel a little unexpected in the best way. The food processor does most of the work — just drizzle in the olive oil, thin it to your liking with a splash of water, and you're done. It's gorgeous tossed with pasta, spread on toast, dolloped over roasted vegetables, or used as a dipping sauce straight from the jar. The plastic wrap trick pressed directly onto the surface is a smart move that keeps that gorgeous color from fading before you're ready to serve.
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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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