Name: Recipe for Oil-Free Spinach-Basil Pesto
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: None
Total time: 5-10 minutes
Yield: 6 (¼ cup) servings
Ingredients: 1/2 pitted green ripe olives—NOT Spanish olives; 1/2 pine nuts or walnuts; 2 cold water; 1 fresh lemon juice; 2 cloves garlic; 1 vegan parmesan (optional); 1 fresh basil leaves–or 1 small pkg.; 2 fresh spinach leaves–loosely packed; 1/4 salt, or to taste

White bowl of green pesto on white counter

Salsas, Sauces, Spreads & Seasonings

Fresh and Full of Antioxidants

This spinach-basil pesto uses green ripe olives in place of the oil that you find in most recipes. The sauce is delicious on pasta, new boiled potatoes, artisan or French bread, or added to marinara or pizza. It literally takes only minutes to make, and if you have any left over, just freeze it in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a Ziplock bag or container for future use. It is very handy to just grab a couple of cubes from the freezer. If you want more than one recipe, make them back-to-back; don’t double recipe unless you have a supersized blender, as one recipe is all a standard blender can handle at a time. Accurate measures are necessary to achieve optimal flavor.

Oil-Free Spinach-Basil Pesto

Recipe courtesy of

Heather Leno

Prep Instructions

Yield: 6 (¼ cup) servings
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: None
Total Time: 5-10 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

1/2 cup pitted green ripe olives—NOT Spanish olives
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon vegan parmesan (optional)
1 cup fresh basil leaves–or 1 small pkg.
2 cups fresh spinach leaves–loosely packed
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Put ingredients in the blender in the order listed above. Blend until mixture is the consistency you prefer.
Depending on your blender, you may need to use a spatula a couple of times to ensure even blending.
Dish up and serve.

NOTE: Don’t throw in a few extra olives; it alters the flavor. You can use bottled garlic with good results.