Hazelnut Free Turmeric-Ginger Parsley Lemon Pesto
Bright, herby, and loaded with bold flavor, this pesto is a serious upgrade from anything you'd find in a jar at the store. Parsley takes center stage here, bringing a fresh, grassy bite that pairs beautifully with the warmth of fresh ginger and earthy turmeric — a combination that feels both vibrant and a little unexpected. Lemon juice and zest keep everything lively and sharp, while raw walnuts add the creamy, nutty body that makes this feel genuinely satisfying on pasta, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. For anyone navigating tree nut allergies or sensitivities, traditional pesto can be a minefield — pine nuts, pistachios, and especially hazelnuts show up in store-bought versions more often than you'd expect. This recipe builds all that richness around walnuts, keeping it completely free of hazelnut in any form, with no ambiguous blended nut bases to second-guess. Everything goes into a food processor, the olive oil streams in, and within minutes you have a thick, spoonable sauce that tastes like it took real effort. A layer of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface before refrigerating helps lock in that gorgeous green color for days.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, loosely packed
- ⅓ cup raw walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp water, as needed to thin (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the parsley, walnuts, garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the ingredients are roughly combined.
- 2
With the processor running, stream in the olive oil in a slow, steady pour until the pesto comes together into a thick, slightly textured paste, about 20–30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides once midway through.
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