This Vegan Almond Spinach Pesto is a great way to add brightness and flavor to any dish that you create. Bonus points are that it is vegan too! This pesto would go great on pizzas, pastas, burgers, and salads! Try this pesto today!
Basil pesto is an iconic green sauce that might be the oldest in European cuisine! Basil Pesto is Italian by tradition and beloved in its native country. Traditional pesto is made by grinding together fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese. Pesto acts as a great sauce for pastas as well as a topping for pizzas, burgers, and more!
This recipe was inspired by my Warm Basil Pesto Potato Salad and my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Gnocchi. Another great sauce recipe is this Tangy and Delicious Pineapple BBQ Sauce!
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Ingredients in this Vegan Almond Spinach Pesto
This Vegan Almond Spinach Pesto is different from traditional pesto in the sense that both the cheese and the pine nuts are omitted. The addition of spinach to the pesto brings some powerhouse nutritional density to the common sauce. Spinach contains a ton of vitamins and minerals and is a powerhouse vegetable.
Pine nuts can also be pretty pricey, one ounce averages $1.44 while one ounce of almonds comes in at $0.42! Subbing toasted almonds for the pine nuts add the same nutty flavor to the sauce without the high price.
- Fresh basil
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Toasted almonds
- vegan parmesan
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
Please see the recipe card for quantities
Instructions
This pesto recipe couldn't be simpler to make, simply add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
To make this pesto, start by adding the basil, spinach, toasted almonds, vegan parmesan, garlic, salt, and olive oil to the blender and blend until the pesto is smooth. Then add the pesto to your all of your favorite recipes.
Hint: If you are not making the pesto on the same day that you pick your basil, you can freeze your basil until you are ready to make the pesto.
Substitutions:
If you want to make this recipe fit any diet, check out some of these substitutions.
- Paleo - You can adjust this recipe to compliant with the paleo diet by omitting the vegan parmesan from the pesto.
- Nut-Free- If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute the almonds for toasted and unsalted sunflower seeds.
Variations
Check out some of these cool variations of this vegan pesto
- Red Pepper Pesto- Add some roasted red peppers to this recipe to make a Red Pepper Pesto
- Roasted Garlic - Give this pesto a deeper, earthier flavor by roasting your garlic before adding it.
- Kid-friendly - Serve the pesto with some whole wheat pasta to make this kid friendly
- Purple Pesto- Try using some red basil to change the color of your pesto from bright green to bright purple
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I invested in a high-speed blender a while ago and it has been a life changer. It is the one kitchen utensil that I use the most.
Storage
Store the pesto in an airtight container for up to three days.
This vegan pesto freezes great, I like to add the pesto to large ice cube molds and freeze it and then just pop out when needed.
Top tip
This recipe is so simple to make that it is really hard to mess up, however my top tip is to always use fresh basil. The fresher the basil, the better your pesto will taste. You don't ever want to use dried basil in this recipe, it will not turn a bright green nor will with taste as fresh.
Recipe
Vegan Almond Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- ⅓ cup toasted almonds
- ¼ vegan parmesan
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. Stored in an airtight container this pesto will last 5 days in the refrigerator.
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