When I first started learning how to make pesto, I thought you always had to have basil. You actually don’t need basil at all, or you can enhance your basil pesto by adding other herbs. Whether basil is out of season, too expensive, or you just want to try something new, here are six alternative pesto recipes you can make.
Herbal pesto is so versatile and you can put it on pasta, quinoa, beans, potatoes, eggs, vegetables, sandwiches, salad, soup, and more. Pesto is also incredibly medicinal and full of enzymes, antioxidants, antimicrobial properties, and the therapeutic value of the different herbs that we add.
All of these alternative pesto recipes are dairy free or can be easily adjusted to be vegan friendly.
#1 Arugula Pesto
Arugula pesto is perfect for when you have an abundance of arugula, or when the first frost arrives and basil is scarce. You can use arugula pesto all sorts of ways, and it makes an especially good sandwich spread.
Get the recipe: Arugula Pesto
#2 Edible Flowers Pesto
This pesto recipe can be customized depending on what flowers you have growing, from calendula petals to cilantro flowers, fennel flowers, lavender flowers, rose geranium flowers, rose petals, sage flowers, squash blossoms, and others.
Get the recipe: Edible Flowers Pesto
#3 Lemon Balm Cilantro Pesto
Add this tasty pesto to your meals for extra nutrition and digestive support. Lemon balm is a great digestive aid full of enzymes and antioxidants. Cilantro is a great digestible source of vitamins A, C, E, and iron.
Get the recipe: Lemon Balm Cilantro Pesto
#4 Oregano Pesto
What do you do when oregano takes over the garden? Make pesto, of course. This recipe contains loads of vegetables, antioxidants, and antimicrobial properties. Use it on fish, put it on tacos, stir it into steamed veggies, and more.
Get the recipe: Oregano Pesto
#5 Rosemary Pesto
Rosemary pesto isn’t just delicious and versatile, it’s also medicinal! Rosemary fights coughs, cold, flu, forgetfulness and fatigue. It helps to improve circulation, relieve headaches, calm the nervous system, and even prevent food spoilage.
Get the recipe: Rosemary Pesto
#6 Summer Garden Pesto
With pesto, you can get super creative about how to get an extra serving of greens into your meals. Make this pesto with basil, dandelion greens, parsley, chives, or whatever herbs and greens you like and have fresh in your garden.
Get the recipe: Summer Garden Pesto
Ready to seriously herbify your kitchen pantry? Check out My Herbal Kitchen
I would love to hear from you! Have you made pesto without basil? What are your favorite alternative pesto recipes? Please share in the comments below.
These sound amazing. I love pesto! Now I have some new ones to try! Thank you!
So glad you are inspired!