Sauces + Condiments Vegan

July 9, 2020

Cilantro Pistachio Pesto (my favorite pesto ever!)

Name: Cilantro Pistachio Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup packed fresh cilantro; 1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachios; 1 jalapeno, seeds removed; 2 cloves garlic; 1/2 lime, juiced; 3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil; 2-3 tablespoons water, to thin pesto; ½ teaspoon salt; Freshly ground black pepper

Flavorful cilantro pistachio pesto made with fresh cilantro, roasted pistachios, garlic, lime juice and a kick of heat from jalapeño. This easy pistachio pesto recipe comes together in just five minutes and is delicious on pasta, chicken, fish and more. Skip the store bought pesto for good!

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

5 mins

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you. Please read my policy page.

Jump to Recipe

Does anyone remember my very famous street corn pasta salad? Well that’s exactly where this incredible cilantro pesto is adapted from (the original version uses cashews). It’s vibrant, herby, fresh, flavorful and unbelievable on just about anything you can dream up. In fact, I even put it on my date night shrimp pasta and it was UNREAL and tasted like something straight out of a restaurant.

The best part about this cilantro pesto? You can easily sub cashews, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds or even sunflower seeds for the pistachios.

Pistachio pesto ingredients

You’re going to love how easy and flavorful this cilantro pistachio pesto recipe is with just a handful of simple ingredients. It’s actually made without basil or pine nuts! Here’s what you’ll need:

Fresh cilantro: many traditional pesto recipes use basil in their ingredients but we’re mixing it up with fresh cilantro aka my life blood.
Roasted pistachios: pistachios add a wonderful nutty flavor in place of traditional pine nuts.
Jalapeño: add a kick of heat with jalapeño, or feel free to omit if you’re sensitive to spice.
Garlic: garlic is a must for pesto recipes.
Lime juice: a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds a lovely brightness to the pistachio pesto.
Oil: you’ll just need a couple tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil to be able to blend up the pesto nicely.
Salt & pepper: to bring out all of the flavors.
Water: to thin the pistachio pesto a bit.

This healthy pistachio pesto recipe also happens to be vegan and dairy free because there is no cheese involved like in traditional pesto recipes!

How to make cilantro pistachio pesto

Add all of your ingredients to the bowl of a food processor: cilantro, pistachios, jalapeño, garlic cloves, lime juice, olive oil, water and salt and pepper.
Process until smooth, scraping down the sides and processing again, if necessary. Done!

How to store this cilantro pistachio pesto

In the refrigerator: keep this healthy pesto recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you’re finding that it’s thickening up a lot, feel free to drizzle in some more olive oil or a bit of water.

In the freezer: yes, you can actually freeze a batch of this pistachio pesto for later! One trick is to add it to an ice tray to create little pesto cubes that can be used later. You can also simply add it to a freezer-safe container or bag and pop it in the freezer for up to one month.

Ways to use cilantro pistachio pesto

This incredibly fresh and easy pistachio pesto recipe is wonderful on your favorite proteins, pasta and even salads. Here are some of my favorite recipes to use it with:

I hope you love this easy cilantro pistachio pesto recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. I really appreciate it – xo!