This sunflower seed pesto uses roasted sunflower seeds, fresh basil and kale to make a wonderful vegan, nut-free pesto that's perfect on flatbreads, mixed into pasta, or tossed with roasted vegetables.
Typically pesto is made with pine nuts, lemon, and lots of parmesan cheese, but on a migraine diet these two things are considered potentially triggers that should be eliminated in the beginning. For me, nuts ended up being one of my biggest triggers so I quickly became a big fan of anything with seeds.
Pesto without Nuts or Cheese
I’ve tried a few different versions of vegan pestos, some with broccoli, some with spinach, but this one is probably my favorite. I even ran out of olive oil while I was whipping up this batch for pictures and it was still delicious. Toasted sunflower seeds is what gives it the nutty flavor you might miss from an aged parmesan. It's truly delicious and I wouldn't recommend skipping that step.
If you're not a big fan of kale, these other options will work it it's place.
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Fresh arugula
Cooking Tips
My favorite way to make this sunflower seed pesto is to grind it in a food processor. This really chops up the sunflower seeds well and gets everything mixed together nicely. I still like my seeds a little chunky, but you can pulse the mixture till you're satisfied with it.
The best way to do this is to start with the seeds, grind them up first, then add all your greens. If you like your pesto a little more chunky, you can flip this and add the seeds later. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
How To Serve
Here are a few favorite ways to use this pesto for dinners.
- On top of baked fish like halibut or salmon
- Mixed into a pasta with fresh vegetables
- On top of simple roasted vegetables like carrots
- With a grilled, marinated steak
- In a simple pasta salad
- With a simple burrata or mozzarella salad
- Thinned out with more olive oil as a dressing.
More Sauce Recipes
If you love this sunflower seed pesto, check out my favorite sauces and toppings.
Creamy Cilantro Sauce
Curry Dressing
Paleo Chick-Fil-A Sauce
Chimichurri Sauce
Creamy Tahini Sauce
And here are some more vegetarian migraine diet tips.
This post was updated on February 1, 2021 to include new photos and recipe tips.
Sunflower Seed Pesto
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup toasted sunflower seeds, unsalted
- 1-¾ cups kale, stems removed, lightly packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
- 1-2 garlic cloves, skin removed if you love garlic, use 2
- 1.5 tsp distilled white vinegar
- ⅓-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add toasted sunflower seeds to a food processor and process until chopped. Add other ingredients except for the olive oil and chop till combined. Slowly add ⅓ cup of the olive oil through the top. I typically like my pesto a little thicker for adding to pastas. If you like a thinner consistency or want to use as a dressing, add another 3tbsp or so till you reach your desired consistency.
- If you'd like to spice it up, a few shakes of red pepper flakes will do the trick.
Notes
- If you're not a fan of kale, you can use spinach leaves instead. Arugula and spinach sometimes make a nice, peppery combination if you add around ¾-1 cup of each.
Just made this on a brutally hot day here in MA. Absolutely delicious. I have mixed it with pasta, additional pumpkin seeds, grape tomatoes and grilled chicken for a perfect summer lunch. Thank you for another great recipe.
Hello! I'm new to the migraine-friendly diet and I've been wondering about pine nuts -technically they're actually seeds, not nuts, so it seems to me like they would be okay according to Heal Your Headache principles. Have you seen pine nuts specifically mentioned anywhere as not okay? I didn't see them in the book.
Regardless, this recipe looks delicious so I'll definitely try pesto without them! Giving 5 stars even though I haven't tried it yet, because I really appreciate the recipes you share, especially ones like this that work for vegans!
I love this pesto!! So good (and much cheaper to make than with pine nuts)! I like making a double batch and freezing it to use later on pastas and pizzas.
love this! just made it and its so so good! I was wondering, how long does this generally keep in the fridge?
Hey Christine - I keep mine for at least 4-5 days. You can also freeze it!
thank you!
Oh, my goodness! This was amazing! I almost cried because it was so good, and I think I've gone about 10 years without being able to eat pesto. I mixed it in with a safe ricotta cheese, and it tasted just as good (if not better) than traditional pesto. Thank you! 🙂
I love pesto and kale but I never thought about putting them together. This is such a great idea that I will definitely be giving a try! Thanks for sharing!