• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Leanne Ray

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • cocktails and mocktails
    • fish and seafood
    • quick and easy
    • vegetarian entreés
  • Lifestyle
  • Tools & Resources
  • Work with Me
  • Shop
You are here: Home / recipe / Spinach Almond Pesto

Spinach Almond Pesto

August 3, 2020 By Leanne Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Spinach almond pesto is a fresh and versatile condiment with a spotlight on summer seasonal basil! Using almonds instead of pine nuts and bulking it up with spinach makes it more cost-effective without sacrificing the classic flavors.

spinach almond pesto in a small jar with lemon and spoon in the background

Is it even summer if you haven’t made a batch of homemade pesto yet? It’s one of my absolute favorite condiments because HELLO versatile kitchen staple.

This is one of those “flavor bomb” ingredients that I always ramble about. Basically a small amount scales up any dish (other flavor bombs: capers, anchovies, olives), so it’s great to keep on hand for fast, flavor-packed, plant-forward cooking.

toasted almonds in a skillet

Ingredients

The ingredients for a classic pesto are simple and you probably already keep most of these on hand. There are a couple of non-traditional ingredients in my version, but I think you’ll love these substitutions!

  • Basil – the star ingredient. Many of you have basil growing in your garden/window sills. If not, grab some at the grocery store or farmer’s market. This is what really makes pesto. You need one small container.
  • Spinach – pesto is easy to customize and you can cut the basil with almost any leafy green. I used spinach because it blends easily and lends a beautiful bright green color.
  • Toasted almonds – pine nuts are traditional in pesto, but I’m not in love with the flavor and they’re relatively expensive (and can be hard to find). The almonds really pop in this, especially if you toast them first. Please do.
  • Lemon – fresh citrus juice adds acidity and freshness
  • Parmesan cheese – use the block and grate it yourself, or buy pre-grated. I won’t judge!
  • Garlic – because what’s pesto without garlic?
  • Date – I’ve seen recipes that incorporate a small amount of sweetener like maple syrup, so I added a date for subtle sweetness. It worked so well! It might sound strange, just trust me. I’ll never not do this again.
  • Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil is streamed in last to bring everything together and add body to the sauce. A heart-healthy finish!
ingredients for spinach almond pesto

If you have a food processor, making pesto at home is simple. You’ll want to pulse all of the ingredients except the olive oil first. See the photo below on the left for ideal consistency. It should be slightly chunky but uniform. Everything will be well incorporated.

Next, turn the motor on and slowly stream in the olive oil until it resembles the photo on the right. You can see that it’s smooth, spoonable and bright green. It should be more of a sauce than a chutney at this point.

How to Store Pesto

A chef friend of mine always stored homemade pesto with a thin layer of olive oil on top and covered with plastic wrap (underneath the lid) to keep out as much air as possible. Of course this is an optional step, but could help extend the life of your pesto by a few days.

It’s best to use the smallest food storage container possible, like my favorite small jars which are 8 ounces and just right for the amount this recipe yields – one cup. You can see there’s no extra space on top!

small jar of spinach almond pesto with a spoon

How to Use Pesto in Meals

Once you have a batch of this homemade spinach almond pesto ready to go in your fridge, there are so many ways to use it when whipping up a quick and healthy meal. Here are some favorites:

  • Tossed with pasta (or pasta salad), vegetables and grilled chicken
  • As a topping for fish, like salmon or cod
  • In grilled cheese, or paninis
  • On top scrambled eggs
  • As part of a charcuterie board
  • Mixed into aioli for a creamy, rich sauce
  • To jazz up roasted vegetables

If you give this a try, leave me a comment letting me know how you used it in meals!

Print

Spinach Almond Pesto

A fresh and versatile condiment with a spotlight on summer seasonal basil! Using almonds instead of pine nuts and bulking it up with spinach makes it more cost-effective without sacrificing the classic flavors.

  • Author: Leanne Ray, MS, RDN
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
  • Category: Sauces and Dressings
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 pack basil (2/3 oz)
  • 2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 pitted medjool date
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Add almonds through date to a food processor and pulse until ingredients are well incorporated but it’s still slightly chunky (scraping down sides as needed).
  2. Slowly stream in olive oil while motor is running. Season with salt & pepper if desired.

Equipment

box grater

Buy Now →

small jars

Buy Now →

food processor

Buy Now →

Notes

  • The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
  • Calories: 138 calories
  • Fat: 13 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 3 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Protein: 4 grams

Keywords: almond pesto, spinach pesto, summer recipes, sauces and dressings, marinades, gluten-free, vegetarian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @LeanneRayRDN on Instagram

Want More Plant-Forward Recipes?

Join my VIP list and I'll send you five reader favorites! Healthy, flavor-packed recipes. What's not to love about that?

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

I promise I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Filed Under: no cook, quick and easy, recipe Tagged With: 15 minutes or less, condiments, dates, flavor bombs, food processor, gluten-free, summer recipes

Previous Post: « Savory Zucchini Bread with Salted Honey Butter
Next Post: Pizza Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Registered dietitian based in Denver, Colorado. I share approachable plant-forward recipes, healthy lifestyle favorites and write about #MomLife. Probably sipping an iced coffee and making a mess in the kitchen as we speak. More About Me…

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Get new posts straight to your inbox!

Disclaimer + Policies

Categories

Trending

Footer

Search

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Disclaimer + Policies

Copyright © 2021 · Leanne Ray ·

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT