This is the best arugula pesto recipe! It's quick and easy to make in just a few minutes and this sauce has the most incredible flavour. Made with oranges, pine nuts, and arugula, this healthy dip is made with just 5 ingredients and is dairy free and vegan.
Sauces and dips like my carrot dip and parsnip and red pepper dip are one of the best ways to add flavour to meals or snacks, and the pesto recipe I am sharing with you today is another fun way to pump up the flavour of your meals even more!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The flavour! This is the best arugula pesto recipe. The combination of the tart arugula plus the sweet mandarine orange blend perfectly.
- It's so easy to make and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Plus you only need 5 ingredients to make it!
- This homemade pesto is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, refined sugar free and Whole30 compliant, just like my vegan walnut pesto.
- This pesto is a great way to use up arugula that is about to go bad in the fridge so it can help cut down on your food waste.
If you love vegan dips you need to try my dairy free dill pickle dip!
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post:
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Arugula - fresh arugula gives this pesto such a unique flavour and a gorgeous bright green colour.
- Oranges - to add just the perfect amount of sweetness and citrus to contrast the tartness of the arugula. You can use any type of oranges that you like for this arugula recipe including navel oranges or mandarine oranges.
- Pine nuts - the base of any great pesto! I recommend using raw pine nuts, not roasted pine nuts to make this arugula pesto. If you can't have pine nuts you can use raw cashews instead.
- Avocado oil - when blended with the other ingredients this helps give this pesto the perfect smooth and creamy texture. If you don't have avocado oil you can use olive oil instead.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- For even more flavour: add 1-2 cloves of garlic to this arugula pesto recipe.
- If you tolerate dairy: add a bit of parmesan cheese to the recipe.
- You can swap some of the arugula for other greens such as spinach or fresh basil leaves.
- Feel free to make a double or triple batch of this arugula pesto if you are serving a crowd or want leftovers.
How to make arugula pesto:
- Step 1: First, add all the ingredients to your food processor.
- Step 2: Then blend everything well until the pesto is smooth and has the texture you like.
Top tip:
If you don't have a food processor you can use a high speed blender such as a Vitamix to blend this pesto sauce.
How to use:
You can use this arugula pesto as a dip or dressing. If you aren't vegan, it is great as a topping for meat or seafood dishes such as grilled chicken or grilled fish including blacked Mahi Mahi. This pesto sauce also makes a delicious pasta sauce, sauce for pizza, pasta salad, or potato salad. You can even use it to make a turkey pesto sandwich or tuna pesto pasta.
Arugula pesto FAQs:
For this pesto I added oranges to give a bit of sweetness and citrus flavour. This helps make the arugula less bitter tasting.
Store this arugula pesto in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Yes you can easily freeze this pesto. To do so, put it in an airtight container or jar and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Other sauces and dips you will love:
Recipe
Arugula Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups packed fresh arugula leaves
- 100 grams pine nuts
- 2 large mandarine orange, peeled and pulp removed (or 3 small mandarine oranges)
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into your food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you can't have pine nuts I would use cashews instead.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Erin Carter
I haven't tried it on fish yet but its super good on chicken and on salads! would love to know if you try it 🙂
whatigather
This looks great! I can totally see using this on some chicken or fish, or even as a salad dressing!
Erin Carter
Thank you so much for your kind words! Glad you love it!
Anonymous
Just made this. Love it. I love traditional pesto, and this arugula recipe may become a new favourite.
Erin Carter
Same to you Kelly! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! xoxo
Kelly Smith
This looks so refreshing and delicious! I hope you continue to have a relaxing and happy holiday season! Looking forward to connecting in the New Year! xoxo