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    Home » Recipes » Sauces and Dips

    Easy Arugula Pesto (dairy-free & vegan)

    Modified: Apr 4, 2025 • Published: Dec 21, 2015 by Dr. Erin Carter • This post may contain affiliate links • Leave a Comment

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    A bowl filled with arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl full of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and a piece of mandarine orange.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and a piece of mandarine orange.
    A bowl of arugula pesto with pine nuts and a mandarine orange piece on it for garnish.

    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.

    A white bowl filled with pesto and garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.

    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:
    • Ingredients and substitutions:
    • Recipe variations and add ins:
    • How to make arugula pesto: 
    • Top tip:
    • How to use:
    • Arugula pesto FAQs:
    • Other sauces and dips you will love:
    • Recipe

    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.
    The ingredients needed to make arugula pesto separated into bowls including fresh arugula, mandarine oranges, pine nuts, avocado oil and salt and pepper.
    • 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: 

    A food processor filled with arugula, a mandarine orange and pine nuts.
    1. Step 1: First, add all the ingredients to your food processor.
    A food processor with a green sauce in it.
    1. 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.

    A white bowl filled with arugula pesto and garnished with an orange slice and pine nuts.

    Arugula pesto FAQs:

    How do you make arugula pesto less bitter?

    For this pesto I added oranges to give a bit of sweetness and citrus flavour. This helps make the arugula less bitter tasting. 

    How should I store arugula pesto?

    Store this arugula pesto in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. 

    Can I freeze this pesto?

    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:

    • A bowl of vegan caesar dressing with a spoon in it and surrounded by a lemon wedge and fresh parsley.
      Vegan Caesar Dressing with Cashews (no oil)
    • A bowl of mango habanero salsa topped with fresh cilantro.
      Easy Homemade Mango Habanero Salsa
    • A bowl of walnut dressing with three walnuts on top for garnish.
      The Best Walnut Dressing
    • A white casserole dish filled with a vegan spinach artichoke dip with crushed crackers on top.
      Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip (paleo & dairy-free)

    Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

    Recipe

    A white bowl filled with arugula pesto and garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.

    Arugula Pesto

    This arugula pesto is such a fun recipe! It has a unique flavour that goes well with so many dishes and you will love how easy it is to make.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: condiment, dips, sauces
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Blend time: 3 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 32
    Calories: 53kcal
    Author: Dr. Erin Carter

    Equipment

    • food processor

    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

    1. If you can't have pine nuts I would use cashews instead. 
    2. Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @pureandsimpleno or tag #pureandsimpleno!

    DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin Carter

      January 06, 2016 at 3:49 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
    2. whatigather

      January 05, 2016 at 6:22 pm

      This looks great! I can totally see using this on some chicken or fish, or even as a salad dressing!

      Reply
    3. Erin Carter

      January 01, 2016 at 1:22 am

      Thank you so much for your kind words! Glad you love it!

      Reply
    4. Anonymous

      December 31, 2015 at 8:37 pm

      Just made this. Love it. I love traditional pesto, and this arugula recipe may become a new favourite.

      Reply
    5. Erin Carter

      December 22, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      Same to you Kelly! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! xoxo

      Reply
    6. Kelly Smith

      December 21, 2015 at 8:37 pm

      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

      Reply

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    A bowl filled with arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl full of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and a piece of mandarine orange.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and a piece of mandarine orange.
    A bowl of arugula pesto with pine nuts and a mandarine orange piece on it for garnish.
    A photo of Dr. Erin Carter wearing a floral dress in her kitchen.

    Hi everyone!

    My name is Dr. Erin Carter and I am so thrilled you are here. I am a physician with specialties in both internal medicine and rheumatology, and I believe that food and healthy living are forms of medicine. In my spare time I share health information and delicious, healthy recipes here on Pure and Simple Nourishment.

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    A bowl filled with arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and an orange slice.
    A bowl full of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and a piece of mandarine orange.
    A bowl of arugula pesto garnished with pine nuts and a piece of mandarine orange.
    A bowl of arugula pesto with pine nuts and a mandarine orange piece on it for garnish.

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