Fresh chives, basil, pine nuts, and lemon blended with extra virgin olive oil into a bright, dairy-free pesto that’s ready in 5 minutes.
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Vivid, fragrant, and ready in minutes, this Green Pesto is one of those foundational recipes that makes everything it touches better.
Spoon it over roasted vegetables, eggs, chicken, or fish. Toss it with zucchini noodles or gluten-free pasta. Stir it through a grain bowl, or thin it with a little lemon juice for a quick salad dressing. A jar in the fridge turns a simple meal into something special.
It’s made in one blender from whole-food, plant-based ingredients, with a combination of chives and basil that tastes more layered than a single-herb pesto. And it’s built on extra virgin olive oil, one of the most studied foods in nutrition research.
The aromatic heart of every pesto.
Basil brings vitamin K and vitamin A, along with aromatic compounds like linalool and eugenol that give it its signature scent. It’s also a source of rosmarinic acid, a polyphenol antioxidant that has been studied for helping counter oxidative stress.
Fresh herbs are an easy way to add a lot of plant compounds to a meal in a small amount of food, and pesto is one of the few recipes where you eat a whole bunch at once.
One of the most studied foods in the world.
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat linked to heart health, and polyphenols like oleocanthal, which has been studied for its anti-inflammatory activity. It’s a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, which is consistently associated with better heart and metabolic health.
Choose a good-quality extra virgin oil, since that’s where most of the polyphenols are. Its fat also helps you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the herbs, like vitamins A and K.
Every other ingredient in the blender is pulling its weight, too.
A mild member of the onion family, with sulfur compounds, vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate.
Creamy texture plus vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, and a unique fat called pinolenic acid.
Bright acidity and vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron from plant foods.
Savory, umami depth like a classic pesto, without the dairy.
If you take warfarin, you don’t need to avoid basil, chives, or other vitamin K foods. The goal is to keep your intake consistent from week to week, so your dose stays matched to what you eat. Also, many vegan Parmesans are made from cashews, so check the label if you have a nut allergy.
Grab my free pack of 42 sauces, dressings, and dips, all made from whole-food ingredients, so every meal gets more flavor without the additives in store-bought jars.
Fresh herbs packed with polyphenols and vitamin K, heart-healthy fats from olive oil and pine nuts, and vitamin C from lemon come together in one spoonful, adding flavor and nutrition to almost any meal.
