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.

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!

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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A top down view of a bowl of basil sauce with a spoon in it.

Print Recipe

3.93 from 14 votes

Basil Sauce

A nut free and dairy free version of pesto

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: cups

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Courtney

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