Homemade superfood pesto is absolutely delicious on EVERYTHING and is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients. It comes together in a blender or food processor in just a few minutes! It’s nut-free, vegan, paleo, keto, and whole 30-friendly!
I recently added some to my homemade gluten-free popovers and it was UNREAL – highly recommend!
Homemade superfood pesto recipe video
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy: The entire process or making this pesto takes just a few minutes.
- Great way to use up leftovers herbs that are going bad: If you have herbs that are about to turn, chuck them into your food processor to make this easy pesto!
- Wholesome: Packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like hemp and sunflower seeds, garlic, and herbs, you are adding nutrients to any snack or meal you use this on!
- Plant-based: This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, paleo, nut-free, keto, and whole 30-friendly!
- Flavor: This pesto is SO flavorful! It’s cheesy without having cheese, zesty, creamy, garlicky, and so healthy!
how to make superfood pesto
Full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Equipment
- Food processor: I love using my small food processor for this, it’s perfect!
- Storage jar
Ingredients
- Basil
- Hemp seeds: You can omit these if you don’t have them, but they add tons of nutrients and protein to the recipe.
- Sunflower seeds
- Nutritional Yeast
- Garlic
- Spices: sea salt, pepper, red pepper, etc.
Steps to make homemade superfood pesto
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor, pulsing for a minute or so until it’s well combined. If you like a thinner pesto, simply add more oil.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge!
How to enjoy superfood pesto
- Eggs: Add pesto to your eggs by whisking it into your scramble prior to cooking or drizzling over top of sunny-side-up!
- Pasta: Toss pesto with pasta.
- Pizza: Use as a sauce for pizza.
- Sandwiches: Spread it onto your favorite sandwich.
- Salads: Add a spoonful of pesto to your salad.
- Grilled proteins: Brush pesto over grilled seafood like salmon or white fish or meats like grilled chicken and steak. You can also toss cooked shrimp in it or add pesto to tuna salad.
- Roasted vegetables: Top pesto on roasted vegetables like carrots, potatoes, or brussels sprouts.
- Pesto–Stuffed chicken breast
- Bread: Spread on your favorite bread or crostini.
- Soup: Blend into your favorite soups or add some on top!
More healthy recipes to try
- Gluten-free popovers
- Vegan broccoli cheese soup
- Healthy chicken broccoli rice casserole
- Healthy chicken pot pie soup
- Japanese carrot ginger salad dressing
- Viral TikTok egg breakfast sandwich
- One-pan enchilada breakfast skillet
- Paleo sandwich bread
- Breakfast egg stuffed peppers
- Thai crunch salad with peanut dressing
Homemade Superfood Pesto
Homemade superfood pesto is absolutely delicious on EVERYTHING and is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients. It comes together in a blender or food processor in just a few minutes! It's nut-free, vegan, paleo, keto, and whole 30-friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 big handful of greens (spinach and/or arugula)
- 1 1/4 cups packed fresh basil
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds *can sub pine nuts
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast *more to taste
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- pinch of red pepper flakes (totally optional!)
Instructions
- Simply add all of the ingredients to a food processor, processing a minute or so until a smooth paste-like texture forms. Then add half hte oil, process until combined, then add the remaining oil, processing again.
- At this point, you can add more oil or water if you want a lower-fat pesto. Simply add in another 1-2 tbsp of either, until the pesto reaches your desired consistency (depends on if you like yours thinner/thicker!).
- Taste and adjust as you'd like. Nutritional yeast will add extra cheesy flavor, lemon will add more zing, etc.
- Then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you want to store for long-term storage, freeze in an ice cube tray for a month or so and defrost or add right to your stove-top recipes!
Gave this one a try and is soooo perfect for adding to almost anything!
Hi Ayla! Yay!! So happy you liked it! It’s so versatile!