Spinach Basil Pesto with Walnuts (Easy Homemade Pesto)
This spinach walnut pesto is one of those recipes I make over and over again because it’s fast, flavorful, and honestly… pesto is just the best. If you love pesto as much as I do, you’re going to love this version. It comes together in about five minutes in a food processor and is one of the easiest ways to add big flavor to simple meals.
I use pesto like this all the time in my cooking burnout meals because it instantly makes things taste better without adding extra steps. Spoon it over pasta, eggs, roasted vegetables, pizza, or shrimp and dinner suddenly feels a lot more exciting.
I’ve been making this spinach basil pesto with walnuts since 2015, when the only thing growing in my garden was basil and I wanted to turn it into something special. Over the years I’ve tested a lot of pesto variations, but this walnut spinach basil pesto is still one of my favorites. The walnuts make it more budget friendly than traditional pine nut pesto, and the baby spinach helps keep it bright green while stretching the batch a little further.
Once you have a jar of this spinach walnut pesto in the fridge, there are so many easy ways to use it. It’s the base for recipes like Pesto Tuna Pasta, Pesto Chicken Skillet, Pesto Cauliflower Rice, and Pesto Shrimp Orzo. Because this pesto is naturally dairy free, it works well in a wide range of meals while still delivering that bright basil flavor pesto is known for.
Ingredient spotlight
This is a spotlight on some of the key ingredients, please see the recipe card for a full list of ingredients.
- Fresh basil -Fresh basil is essential for this recipe. Dried basil won’t give you the same bright, fresh flavor that pesto is known for, so be sure to use fresh basil leaves.
- Walnuts – Walnuts are a budget-friendly alternative to traditional pine nuts and add a rich, nutty flavor. I recommend using raw, unsalted walnuts. If your walnuts are salted, just reduce the added salt in the recipe and adjust to taste.
- Garlic powder (or fresh garlic) – I like to use garlic powder here because it adds garlic flavor without overpowering the basil. If you love fresh garlic, you can swap it for 1–2 cloves of very finely grated garlic instead.
- Baby spinach – Baby spinach helps give the pesto extra volume and keeps the color bright green. It has a mild flavor, so it blends right in with the basil and helps the pesto stay vibrant even after a day or two in the fridge.
Step by step instructions
Add basil leaves, lemon juice and olive oil to a food processor. Blend for about 30 seconds to break down the basil. Add the chopped walnuts, salt and garlic powder to the food processor and blend again to start to break down the walnuts 1 minute. Next add the baby spinach and blend until fully broken down. Add some water if needed until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. (this can take 1-2 minutes). Check the consistency and taste for salt and lemon juice. Add more as needed.
Top tips:
- Use a food processor or high speed blender – A food processor works best for this spinach walnut pesto because it breaks down the basil, walnuts, and spinach quickly into a smooth sauce.
- Blend in stages: To get the best texture, blend the ingredients in stages rather than all at once.
- Blend the basil, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and spices.
- Add the walnuts and blend again.
- Finally add the spinach and water until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
- Adjust the texture with water – Adding a little water helps loosen the pesto. Use less for a thick pesto (great for pasta or dipping) or a little more for a thinner pesto to drizzle over vegetables or sandwiches.
Spinach Walnut Pesto (Dairy-Free Basil Pesto)
Ingredients
- 1 package basil - 4 oz
- 1 lemon juiced - large
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon water - or more see instructions
- 2 cups baby spinach - 2 large handfuls
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the basil, lemon juice and olive oil. Process about 30 seconds to 1 minute.1 package basil, 1 lemon juiced, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the walnuts, salt, garlic powder, and 1 tbsp. water to the food processor and process on high until smooth (1-2 minutes).¼ cup walnuts, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon water
- Add the spinach to the food processor (in batches if necessary) and blend until smooth.2 cups baby spinach
- Add additional water depending on how thick you want your pesto, 1/2-1 tablespoon at a time.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Store in sealed glass container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Note: color will start to darken after 3-4 days.
- To freeze pesto for later: Freeze in silicone ice cube tray until solid. Once solid, remove from tray and store in a freezer safe silicone bag or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
What equipment do you need?
Tips on buying fresh basil:
- Fresh basil can spoil quickly, so take a moment to check the container before buying. If you see black or slimy leaves, the rest of the basil will usually spoil quickly too.
- Store basil at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. Basil is sensitive to cold and will turn dark faster in the fridge.
- If you want basil to last longer, look for living basil plants sold in small pots. These can stay fresh for several days longer than packaged basil.
Easy Ways to Use This Spinach Walnut Pesto
- Toss with pasta for a quick dinner
- Spoon over roasted vegetables
- Spread on salmon or shredded chicken
- Stir into soups like minestrone
- Serve over poached or fried eggs
I’ll have to try this recipe sometime. My favorite is with the traditional basil. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party! Pinned, tweeted & scheduled on my FB page. Hope to see you again soon!
You really can’t go wrong with traditional basil!
I love pesto and I have tried several different ways of making it. My favorite way is with spinach, but I think it would taste pretty awesome with kale as well.
Oh I do love spinach because it lets the basil shine through!
Oh my gosh, I SO need to make some pesto- my basil plant is going NUTS right now!! And I love the idea of adding spinach to it!! Hurray for bringing awesome posts to Snickerdoodle Sunday- so glad you linked up this weekend!
Sarah (Sadie Seasongoods)
I put pesto on pretty much everything! It’s so good. I love adding different greens but the basil is a necessity. I never thought to add hemp hearts though! They’re a new favorite around these parts.
Ok you know I am all over this! What a great healthy way to make pesto I can’t wait to try this. As you know, traditional pesto is so caloric! Excited about this!
Deborah, yes it really is! I’m glad you are excited. Spinach is always the answer lol!! Great pumpkin recipe yesterday by the way!
I love hemp and I think sneaking it into pesto is a brilliant idea! Looks delicious! Pinning this one to try soon!
Yum, I love pesto! I’ve done pesto with arugula, but never with spinach.. so I’ll need to give this a try!
Perfect vegan pesto!
Thanks so much Rebecca!
I love that you replaced the parmesan with hemp hearts. They really do have such a nutty flavor. Sometimes, I sub them out for the cheese I normally put on my salads.
Stacie, we think alike, I love it! Sometimes you just gotta have cheese though :)
I’m planning on making zucchini noodles for dinner and I was just thinking about how good it would be with pesto!
Oh this would be so yummy on zucchini noodles!! But I’m pretty fond of pesto :)
If I could swim in a tub of pesto, I would, I love it so much! Hm..I wonder if these would be good on your cracker recipe… ;) thanks, Sam! Looks so yummy.
Jess the mental image of this made me laugh out loud!! Love it :) I bet it would be so good on the crackers. :) Thanks for stopping by friend!
All the basil. I wish I had more access to fresh basil. I typically have to “borrow” some from neighbors in the summer. And I have spinach every day, so there you go. I have to make my own pestos so that i can adjust the oil content.
Also, I need to find the blade for my little food processor. It is totally wrecking my cooking dreams not being able to find it!
Suzy I didn’t mention how many times I have to buy a new basil plant lol. I usually keep 3-4 at a time and normally have slim pickings. But when I get lucky, it’s fantastic! Good luck finding your food processor blade! I can’t wait to see what you whip up once you do!
Oh basil has to be my favorite herb! I used to have a small tree at home and use the leaves for cooking. The aroma was delicious! Adding spinach and kale is such a great idea! I LOVE it on everything cheese-y ;)