Fresh, bright and incredibly satisfying – you won’t be missing the garlic in this low FODMAP pesto recipe thanks to the fresh chives!

Original recipe shared on October 2, 2015 – updated August 12, 2024 with improved photos, recipe, tips and ingredient explanations.

Pesto Ingredients

This recipe follows the general formula of a classic basil pesto with fodmap friendly ingredients: fresh herbs, nuts, citrus, salt and oil. The main standout is the addition of fresh chives and the omission of garlic.

• Basil & Chives – Use both fresh basil and chives. You’ll need about 1 cup chopped chives and 1/2 cup of fresh basil.
• Pine Nuts – Use about 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted or un-
• toasted.  You can also swap pine nuts out for other fodmap friendly nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, etc).
• Nutritional Yeast or Parmesan – Use nutritional yeast for a vegan option. If you want this vegetarian friendly but not dairy free, make sure to choose a vegetarian friendly parmesan (technically parmesan is not vegetarian).
• Lemon Juice & Salt – Use fresh lemon juice and flaky sea salt or kosher salt if possible.
• Olive Oil – Choose a quality extra virgin olive oil for best results.

More FODMAP Friendly Essentials

Low Fodmap Ranch Dressing

Low Fodmap Ketchup Recipe

Roasted Low FODMAP Vegetable Stock (Unroasted Option)

How to Make Homemade Mayo + Tips

Recipe Steps

1. Add everything except for the oil to food process or blender.
2. Pulse ingredients together until a chunky paste forms. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides of the bowl or blender as needed.
3. Drizzle the oil into the pesto while the motor is running in a steady stream. Working the oil in gradually with the blender on will help it mix into the sauce to create a emulsion (meaning it’s less likely to separate later).
4. Taste and season as you see fit.

Serving Suggestions

• Mix into pasta for a quick and easy dinner.
• Spread over chicken or fish for a healthy meal.
• Dolloped over pizzas and flatbread for an extra boost of flavor.
• As a cracker or veggie dip

More Delicious Low FODMAP Recipes

• One Pot Low FODMAP Chicken And Rice (Khichdi Inspired)
• Ricotta Zucchini Fritters & Tomato Caper Salsa
• Peanut Cucumber Chicken Salad
• Chopped Chicken & Raspberry Salad
• Low FODMAP Chili With Pumpkin & Sausage

Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this low fodmap friendly pesto recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Low FODMAP Pesto

Yield: a little over 1 cup Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes

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A bright, savory and herby garlic-free pesto - suitable for those needing to stick to a low fodmap diet!

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh chives (50g)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil (25g)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (35g)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or grated parmesan (30g)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juices (30ml)
• 3/4 tsp salt + more to taste
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120ml)

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Add fresh herbs, pine nuts, nutritional yeast or parmesan, lemon juice and salt to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend or pulse until the ingredients are all finely chopped and well combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. With the blender running on a medium speed, pour the the olive oil into the blender in a slow and steady stream.
3. Blend until you reach your desired consistency. If desired, add an addition 1-3 tablespoons oil for a thinner pesto sauce.
4. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Use fresh pesto as desired or transfer to an airtight container for later.

Notes

• Store it: Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge up to 1 week.
• Freeze it: pour leftover sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Once frozen, pop out of the tray and transfer to a freezer safe storage bag or container and keep frozen up to 3 months.
• Garlic-Infused Oil: For a stronger garlic flavor you can use garlic-flavored oil. Just make sure the oil is entirely free of garlic pieces.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 10

Serving Size:

2 tablespoons Calories: 147Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Sauces & Condiments Cuisine: Mediterranean