Last summer, Olivia introduced me to avocado pesto. Oh! My! GOSH! I immediately became obsessed and could be found eating my body weight in avocado toast, pasta and zoodles covered in avocado pesto, and using it as a spread for sandwiches. Did I have a one-track mind? Absolutely! Was it a good time for me? Also, yes!
The Beginning of Easy Avocado Pesto
However, the thing that got me a bit with the original recipe is that some of the ingredients can be expensive. Over the past two summers, I have experimented with different ingredients in an attempt to create a bare-bones recipe (base ingredients and the exact same preparation steps) with Good, Better, Best ingredient options to fit all budgets. So, with a little creativity, we can easily substitute and make this tasty recipe attainable for any income level. How cool is that?!
The Bare Bones
Base Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 large ripe avocado (or 2 small)
- 1/2 cup nuts (Good: Hemp Hearts Better: Walnuts Best: Pine Nuts)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Good
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 large ripe avocado (or 2 small)
- 1/2 cup Hemp Hearts
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Pepper to taste
Better
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 large ripe avocado (or 2 small)
- 1/2 cup Walnuts
- Lemon juice from 1/2 of a Meyer Lemon
- 3 fresh garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Black pepper to taste
Best
- 1 cup garden-fresh or farmers market-fresh basil
- 1 large ripe avocado (or 2 small)
- 1/2 cup Pine Nuts
- Lemon juice from 1/2 of a Meyer Lemon
- 3 fresh garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup Basil and Lemongrass extra-virgin olive oil from The Oil & Vinegar Bar
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Preparation
Time ⏱ 10 minutes
- Strip basil leaves and cut and peel avocado(s). Add to the food processor. Measure lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Add to the food processor. Then, process all ingredients added thus far to form a thick paste.
- Measure nuts. Add to the food processor. Season with pepper to taste.
Meal Prep Tip: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent browning and refrigerate for up to 5 days (not that one batch will make it that long…). You can also freeze your avocado pesto.*
Beyond being incredibly delicious, this recipe is near and dear to my heart. The first night that my wife experimented with this recipe involved a big step in our relationship. One of our nearest and dearest friends joined us to talk about how he could help us start our family. We made inappropriate baby making jokes, went back for seconds, talked logistics, went back for thirds, and found ourselves making a big step towards an even greater dream. In my family, food has always been a wonderful way to express love. May you continue to share that joy with your loved ones as well! Happy pesto making, friends!
A Note From 2020:
I made an ASTRONOMIC amount of avocado pesto last year and froze a good deal. We took it out of the freezer all winter long and enjoyed with light breakfasts of avocado toast, hearty dinners of chicken and pasta, and just because! We pulled the last jar out of the freezer at the beginning of the Pandemic around the first week of April. It – was – AMAZING! Even after all that time in the freezer. Freeze for up to 6 months! Thaw in the refrigerator roughly 6 hours before anticipated use.
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