Can You Make Pesto Without Nuts? Yes—and Rach Has a Secret Ingredient to Add Flavor

Even though pesto sauces are typically made with nuts, nut-free pesto does exist! And it can be just as delicious, Rach says.  

Can you make a pesto without nuts?   

"Of course! And we do often," says Rachael. "You’re just making an herb sauce basically, more like a salsa verde." But it can still add the ultimate pop of flavor to a dish—and Rach uses nut-free herb sauces all the time in different dishes.  

How can you add more flavor to nut-free pesto? 

Rach loves adding capers to nut-free pesto to "add a little extra salt or texture," she says.

Another nut-free herb sauce that Rach loves? Chimichurri.  

"Chimichurri is basically a nut-free sauce that’s similar to pesto and salsa verde—it's the sauce we put on sliced steak...and it is not made with nuts at all. Just the right combination of herbs—whatever you love—with garlic and olive oil. I love acid in pretty much everything, so lemon juice is my favorite for that...It gives a brightness," explains Rachael.