Cilantro Pesto in a mason jar

Cilantro Pesto

This inexpensive cilantro pesto made with almonds is a simple, easy way to use extra cilantro. It’s vegan, dairy free, and paleo approved.

5 from 6 votes

Why I love this cilantro pesto

My mom came home with two bunches the other day for $2 and after cleaning and removing the stems, we had 8 cups of cilantro. 8 cups. What in the world is anyone supposed to do with 8 cups of cilantro?

Make pesto, of course. I divided up the cilantro and made 2 batches of this cilantro pesto and another 2 batches of my cilantro peanut pesto.

If you like this recipe, you have to try this roasted red pepper pesto, and this pistachio pesto and pesto rosso. Plus, this spinach basil pesto is also a more affordable version of basil pesto that you will probably love too.

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Fresh herbs and other various ingredients in a food processor bowl.

Ingredients & substitutions

  • Cilantro – The only thing I don’t like about pesto is the cost of making it. I mean, unless you have a bountiful garden full of basil, you are going to spend some big bucks on basil and pine nuts. But guess what isn’t expensive. Cilantro. It’s always under a dollar and the bunches are huge. Go to a farmers’ market and it’s even cheaper.
  • Almonds – For this recipe I opted for almonds over pine nuts for the nutty flavor.
  • Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil, it helps prevent bitterness.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Cilantro Pesto in a food processor bowl, blended together.

How to make cilantro pesto

Gather ingredients. To make cilantro pesto, you’ll need cilantro, slivered almonds, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper. You will need to wash your cilantro really well and remove the large stems.

I really only remove the super thick or woody ones, because I don’t like spending too much time with this step. Plus, it all gets blended up in the end anyway.

Blend together. Then you’ll need to put all of the ingredients and blend in a food processor bowl. Keep blending until the pesto is almost smooth and it’s a consistent, bright green color. You may need to scrape the sides of your bowl as you go to make sure things aren’t getting stuck in the corners.

Searching for more easy sauce recipes? These are some of my favorite sauce recipes: Easy chimichurri sauce recipe / Dairy free alfredo sauce / Easy marinara sauce / Easy stir fry sauce recipe

A mason jar of green pesto made from fresh cilantro.

Can you freeze cilantro pesto?

This recipe makes about 1 cup of pesto sauce, which I think is more than enough for 1 pound of pasta, or any other recipe you might need it for. It should stay fresh in the fridge for about a week.

If you don’t use all of your pesto right away, or if you feel like making a couple batches at once, you can definitely freeze it for later. I like to freeze mine in 1/2 cup containers (leftover from making baby food) so I never have to thaw too much out. If I need a whole cup, I’ll just thaw two containers.

How can I use cilantro pesto?

  • Toss it with some al dente pasta for a quick dinner.
  • Add pesto to a vinaigrette for a fresh salad dressing.
  • Use it as a marinade from grilled shrimp skewers.
  • Stir some into mayonnaise for a flavorful sandwich spread.
A spoon scooping some green sauce out of a mason jar.
Cilantro Pesto in a mason jar
Cilantro Pesto in a mason jar

Cilantro Pesto

5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
This inexpensive cilantro pesto made with almonds is a simple, easy way to use extra cilantro. It’s vegan, dairy free, and paleo approved.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds or 2/3 cup whole almonds
  • 2 cups fresh cilantro large stems removed
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper optional

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredient in the bowl of a food processor.
  • Blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
  • Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal Carbohydrates: 4g Protein: 3g Fat: 34g Trans Fat: 0.003g Sodium: 297mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 1g Vitamin C: 5mg

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