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A heavenly combo of spinach, artichokes, garlic, lemon, and pumpkin seeds. This dairy free, nut free, beautifully green, Spinach Artichoke pesto is a condiment you will reach for again and again.
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The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here this last week. Temperatures were well above normal, the sun has been shining, and I’ve got spring fever in a bad way. It’s making me crave all things bright and fresh and green!
This Green Vegetable Juice has been in heavy rotation (even the kids like it!) as have salads of every kind. I made these white bean veggie burgers the other night and this Spinach Artichoke Pesto was the perfect accompaniment. It’s super easy – takes just about 5 minutes – so let’s get that flavor going!
Nut Free
Traditional pestos usually contain pine nuts. I have a weird aversion to pine nuts. I will literally have a constant pine taste in my mouth for weeks after eating them. I’ve discovered that raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are my favorite substitution. They also have a subtly “cheesy” flavor, so they make a great sub for the parmesan cheese that is usually found in pestos as well. The use of pumpkin seeds here makes my pesto allergy friendly – dairy free and nut free!
A Versatile Sauce
This fresh, citrusy, artichoke pesto will liven up a variety of dishes. Mixed with pasta, tossed in a salad, in place of marinara on a pizza, a dip for veggies, spread on crusty bread as an appetizer, or atop a veggie burger. The possibilities are limitless. If you love artichokes, put this dairy free pesto on your must-make list!
More vegan sauce recipes
- Pumpkin Seed Pesto
- Sun Dried Tomato Spread
- Southwest Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Easy Cranberry Sauce
- Easy Peanut Sauce
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Spinach Artichoke Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz can quartered or halved artichoke hearts (drained)
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until a sauce is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning if necessary.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Mary S
This was lovely! Light, flavorful, and very versatile. I added a small drizzle of honey to tone down the tanginess a little and subbed slivered almonds for the pepitas (didn’t have any on hand) . I tossed it with some pasta and added a little nub of cream cheese – yum! Just like spinach artichoke dip!
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you, Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Your additions sound great!
Sandy
Can you replace the pumpkin seeds with Nutritional yeast instead as I don’t use any type of seeds (excepts chia and flax).
Jenn S.
You could certainly try it. I like pumpkin seeds because they have a somewhat cheesy flavor, so nooch should be a decent sub. It might be creamier in texture than with the seeds, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Let me know how it turns out.
Megan
I love a nut free pesto option! My daughter has an allergy so I haven’t been able to make pesto, but my husband loved it so I have been looking for an easy alternative. Definitely going to try this!!
Jenn S.
This will be perfect then. I hope you love it! Thanks, Megan!