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    Home - Recipes

    Basil Sauce

    Aug 8, 2019 · Modified: Aug 11, 2022 by Courtney · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    3371 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Delicious basil sauce!  Fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and blended into this flavourful dairy free and nut free version of pesto.

    a bowl of basil sauce

    Let's take a quick minute to talk about THIS SAUCE.

    The lemon, the freshness, the garlic.  It's like heaven on a spoon.

    Picked up a gigantic bush sized bundle of basil at your farmers market and don't know what to do with it like I did?

    The answer is basil sauce.

    The most POPULAR answer is probably pesto, but if you are vegan, dairy free or nut free you are probably looking for a better answer, or maybe you are just like me and can't fathom shelling out for pine nuts at the crazy prices they are selling these days and you just want an alternative.

    Basil sauce does not disappoint, and I think I can honestly say that I even prefer it to pesto.  It would be perfect in place of pesto in our roasted vegetable sandwich or grilled vegetable salad.

    You're going to love this because

    • it's dairy free and nut free!
    • it's ready in 5 minutes with minimal effort
    • it's fresh, healthy and tastes AMAZING

    How to make basil sauce

    This truly couldn't get any easier.  Remove the leaves from the basil and make sure they are nice and clean, then throw them into a food processor along with all the other ingredients.

    Process on high for a minute or two or until the basil leaves have broken down enough that they form a sauce but are still a tiny bit chunky.

    And that's it.  You're done!

    basil sauce blended in a food processor

    Transfer your sauce to an airtight container and store in the fridge.

    What do you put basil sauce on?

    The possibilities are truly endless!  Use it as:

    • a marinade for fish or chicken
    • a substitute for pesto that is diary free and nut free
    • a pizza topper (TRUST ME ON THIS ONE)
    • Use is as base for salad dressing by mixing some in with some oil and vinegar
    • anything you want!

    Storing basil sauce

    This sauce will keep well for at least a week (and up to 2) in the fridge stored in an airtight container.  If you would like to keep it for longer, to maximize the freshness it can be frozen.

    Dietary Considerations and Accommodations

    This recipe for basil sauce is suitable for the following diets:

    • vegan and vegetarian
    • clean eating
    • Whole30
    • low carb and keto friendly
    • gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly

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    More recipes you’ll love!

    If you like this basil sauce, you might want to check out some of our other awesome fresh sauce recipes:

    • Chimichurri
    • Avocado salsa verde
    • Basic tomato sauce

     If you have made this recipe we’d love to see it! Tag us on Insta @loveandgoodstuff.

    Loved this? Don’t forget to rate it below!

    A top down view of a bowl of basil sauce with a spoon in it.
    Print Recipe
    4.13 from 8 votes

    Basil Sauce

    A nut free and dairy free version of pesto
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Italian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 1 cups
    Calories: 50kcal
    Author: Courtney
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    Food processor

    Ingredients:

    • 6 ounces fresh basil leaves
    • 1⁄2 cup olive oil
    • 4 Tablespoon lemon juice
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 2 teaspoon fine sea salt

    Instructions

    • Put everything in a food processor and process on low for a minute or two or until the sauce is just blended but still a bit chunky.
    • Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1-2 weeks.

    Notes

    ** calories are based on a 1 tablespoon serving

    Nutrition

    Calories: 50kcal

    * nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @loveandgoodstuff or tag #loveandgoodstuff!
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    About Courtney

    I'm Courtney and I love great food!

    Creating delicious meals, photographing them, and sharing them with friends and family are some of my favourite joys ❤️
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. penelopi says

      August 09, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      As a Vegan I loved this recipe! I will use it in my paste dish!

      Reply
      • Courtney says

        August 09, 2019 at 10:17 pm

        Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Caitlyn Erhardt says

      August 09, 2019 at 10:01 pm

      Love incorporating my fresh basil into sauce this time of year!

      Reply
      • Courtney says

        August 09, 2019 at 10:17 pm

        It's so delicious!

        Reply
    3. Sara Welch says

      August 09, 2019 at 10:04 pm

      What a fun and tasty recipe! So flavorful and easy too! Delish!

      Reply
      • Courtney says

        August 09, 2019 at 10:17 pm

        Thanks Sara!

        Reply
    4. Lisa says

      August 09, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      What a great way to make basil pesto vegan! Looks very refreshing 🙂

      Reply
      • Courtney says

        August 09, 2019 at 10:16 pm

        Thanks! It really is!

        Reply
    5. Irina says

      August 09, 2019 at 10:18 pm

      Made it last night. We enjoyed this basil sauce on top of a store bought pizza. We loved the taste!

      Reply
    6. phyllis kilpatrick says

      June 30, 2022 at 2:20 am

      How are you measuring the 6oz. of basil? Weight, fluid, chopped, before or after it is processed in the food processor? I'm confused and I would like to make this for a friend that has a nut allergy. It sounds so good and I don't want to mess up!

      Reply

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