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Quick and Easy Simple Keto Basil Pesto

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This Quick and Easy Simple Keto Basil Pesto Recipe with only 4 ingredients and done in minutes is one of the must-have Keto Condiments in your Pantry. This Keto Pesto Recipe is fully Low Carb, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, and Gluten-Free and the perfect addition to any of your Keto Recipes.

Fresh Basil Pesto in a wooden bowl
Low Carb Basil Pesto without Pine Nuts

Add them into your Keto Pasta Dishes, whip up a simple Basil dressing for our Keto Egg Noodles, add into your super healthy Salads, top up your Fathead Pizza with it. O my. 

You can use this superb Keto Basil Pesto onto almost anything. 

And the best is, it only takes a few minutes and stays in your fridge like forever. 

Basil Pesto and Genoa

Most of you might not be totally aware, but Pesto actually originated from Genoa, Italy. 

And Genoa is actually the place where my story with basil pesto started.

Last year we traveled to Genoa for a few days for the holidays. 

We went to the supermarket because I am crazy about Burrata and I just wanted to buy some real and original for our house. 

Being in the supermarket and seeing like 10 different types of Burrata, I suddenly went crazy and said, I do not want to go to any of the restaurants but I just wanna buy those beautiful tomatoes, a little bit of fresh basil and I will make my own dinner and that’s it. 

Basil Pesto in a glass container
Simple Keto Basil Pesto

Burata

Now as I started collecting the best of Buratta world and fresh tomatoes I went and check some fresh basil leaves.

Next to them and of course next to Burrata as well, were all of different brands with Pesto Genovese.

Now at that time, I had no idea what it was exactly,  it just looked perfect next to Burrata and I thought OK let me just try it and see whether I like it or not. 

Got a box and as I have started reading the ingredients, I have realized it’s actually a basil pesto. I immediately thought of my blog and making the recipe for you all. 

I even made a photo that is still on my phone. 

But then the year passed and of course, I completely forgot about it. 

Basil Pesto in a wooden bowl to serve
Fresh Basil Pesto

Tomato & Burrata Salad

A few months ago as the summer started and the weather started to be sunnier and we were finally able to go to the supermarket and buy what we want and not depend on the delivery my husband came one day with five boxes of Burrata. This has started our Italian journey of the year 2020.

Almost every single day we had to have a Tomato & Burrata Salad for dinner and we just could not stop eating it. 

But of course, with Burrata or mozzarella and tomatoes, you need fresh basil leaves and this was my biggest struggle.

Growing fresh basil

In our garden, I try and plant all the herbs possible together with tomatoes to last us throughout the whole summer. The only thing I have always failed was fresh basil.

Wherever I have planted it, in about two weeks it fully died on me.

Someone told me to plant them in between the tomatoes which I did.  Didn’t survive.

I have tried to plant it separately. It didn’t survive.

This year I have ordered all of the herbs from a farm close to us and as I have planted the basil in March it looked like this one is going to finally survive.

It lasted for about a month but then suddenly again the same thing happened. 

All I could think of was, where am I going to get huge big buckets of basil so we can survive and have enough for our almost daily Burrata & Tomato Salad Craze. 

Pesto Recipe with freshly picked Basil leaves in a basket
Fresh Basil Leaves

Genoa

As I started thinking about it, immediately Genoa came to my mind and I remembered the pesto.

Although we do have already a Wild Garlic Pesto in the fridge and on our blog which is made from the ramp as some call it, I thought of making the same exactly from Basil. 

And there I went and bought about six small pots of fresh basil and have decided to plant them all into a separate pot and of course use all the Leaves for my Keto Pesto and see if the basil grows back or not.

There I went to make the recipes and to my surprise, the basil is growing. So maybe I have made something I am not aware of which made my basil grow in the garden and that makes me really happy.

Quick and Easy Keto Basil Pesto

I have decided to make this Keto Pesto as simple as possible, without garlic, without nuts, and without cheese, because I believe the best is when you add all of the fresh ingredients at a later stage and only if you want them. 

And as I make our Wild Garlic Pesto only once a year, it stays in the fridge the whole time. 

Whenever I need to use it, I just add whatever I want later. 

The same goes for basil pesto. Any nuts or Parmesan can always be added into the dish once you’re ready to serve.

No Cheese Pesto ready to serve
Low Carb Basil Pesto
What do you eat Pesto With?

Any pesto, not only our Keto Basil Pesto or Wild Garlic Pesto are the best Keto condiments you can have in your Keto Pantry.

Stored in the refrigerator they last for a very long time and can be added into almost any Keto Dish or recipe you wish to.

Just to mention a few:

Add a teaspoon to the Salad dressing for an Italian Flair
Few drops onto your freshly baked Fathead Pizza
Use wherever you normally would add fresh basil leaves and have just run out of them
Add into your dips for not only a beautiful color
Add it into any our your Keto Pasta choices
Make the best basil spreads you can use on our Keto Farmers Bread for Breakfast
Make a single-serve Basil butter to top up your steaks during a Keto BBQ grilling season
Make a special green mayonnaise for your dinner. 
Make a super special Keto Egg Noodles with this yummy Simple Keto Basil Pesto

Italian Pesto ingredients being prepared
Basil Pesto Ingredients

How to make Simple Keto Basil Pesto?

Kitchen gadgets you might need:

  • Magic Bullet
  • Mason Jars

Ingredients needed:

  • Fresh Basil Leaves
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Himalayan Salt
  • Lemon Juice

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE THE SIMPLEST KETO BASIL PESTO.

First Step: Prepare all Ingredients

The longest part and time of making this recipe is preparing all of the ingredients.

Even though there are only a few ingredients, cleaning and picking up the Basil took me the longest time. But this was just because I had five pots of different types of basil and I just wanted to cut the leaves and that’s it. You can cut the whole plant and also add a few stems into the pesto without any issues.

Prepare the extra Virgin olive oil and Himalayan salt and squeeze half of the lemon to have it all ready.

No Nuts Pesto made with fresh basil leaves and olive oil

Second Step: Fill Magic Bullet with Basil Leaves

Now it is time to prepare your Grinder, Magic Bullet, or Hand Mixer. 

First, place half of the Basil leaves you have picked into the cup from the magic bullet.

I only fill the cup with half and once it is mixed I will add additional basil leaves.

No Cheese Pesto with freshly picked basil leaves

Third Step: Add Himalayan Salt

Into the cup goes one spoon of Himalayan salt.

Keto Condiment being prepared in a magic bullet

Fourth Step: Add EVO Oil

Slowly pour extra virgin olive oil into the cup going to use for mixing the pesto inside the magic bullet.

Keto Recipes adding olive oil to basil leaves for basil pesto making

Fifth Step: Lemon Juice

Add a freshly squeezed lemon juice from half of the lemon to retain that beautiful green color.

This is optional but as we add lemon to any of the salad dressing we make, I thought a little bit of lemon juice will just make it more flavorful.

Basil Pesto Without Nuts pouring lemon juice in

Sixth Step: Mix

Once all of the ingredients are in the Magic bullet Cup, close the lid and switch on the magic bullet.

Mix it for about half a minute and when you see it all done, open the magic bullet Cup and add the rest of the basil leaves and oil into it.

pesto Basil being mixed in a Magic Bullet

Seventh Step: Store

The whole process takes really about a minute or two. Not longer.

Once everything is fully mixed pour into a jar or a glass container that you can store in the refrigerator. 

I love my mason jars as you might already know, and I have stored this Keto Basil Pesto into one of the smaller size mason jars.

Stored in the refrigerator it should last for up to a year.

Pesto for Pasta pouring it into the glass container

Tips and tricks:

Use For:

  • Add a teaspoon to the Salad dressing for an Italian Flair
  • Few drops onto your freshly baked Fathead Pizza
  • Use wherever you normally would add fresh basil leaves and have just run out of them
  • Whip up a perfect Keto Gnocchi Tomato Basil
  • Add into your dips for not only a beautiful color
  • Add it into any our your Keto Pasta choices
  • Make the best basil spreads you can use on our Keto Farmers Bread for Breakfast
  • Make a single-serve Basil butter to top up your grilled ham steak during a Keto BBQ grilling season
  • Make a special green mayonnaise for your dinner. 
  • Make a super special Keto Egg Noodles with this yummy Simple Keto Basil Pesto
Pesto Genovese with bunless burger
Fresh Keto Basil Pesto

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

How do you store Keto Basil Pesto?

Storing this keto basil pesto is one of the easiest tasks.

All you have to do is place the fresh pesto in a glass jar which could be sealed from the top.

I normally use a mason jar, seal it fully closed and place it into the refrigerator for whenever I need it.

Quick Easy Simple Keto Basil Pesto on a spoon
Simple Low Carb Basil Pesto without Pine Nuts

How long does Basil Pesto last for?

Since this basil pesto contains oil and salt this helps those Keto condiments hold for a very long time stored in a proper glass container fully closed it can stay in the refrigerator for up to a year.

Can you freeze this Keto Basil Pesto?

You can certainly freeze this keto basil pesto and I would suggest to first freeze it in to the ice molds and then store separate molds into a Ziploc bag.

This will help you later when you only need a little bit for your cooking or salads.

Pin For Later:

Basil Pesto in the dark wooden bowl

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Yield: 1 Jar

Simple Keto Basil Pesto

Fresh Basil Pesto in a wooden bowl

This Quick and Easy Simple Keto Basil Pesto Recipe with only 4 ingredients and done in minutes is one of the must-have Keto Condiments in your Pantry. This Keto Pesto Recipe is fully Low Carb, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Grain-Free, and Gluten-Free and the perfect addition to any of your Keto Recipes.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 100g (4 Cups) Fresh Basil Leaves
  • 50ml (1/4 Cup) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Juice from half Lemon
  • 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

    1. Pick fresh Basil Leaves, prepare the extra Virgin olive oil and Himalayan salt and squeeze half of the lemon to have it all ready.
    2. Fill Magic Bullet with Basil Leaves
    3. Add a spoon of Himalayan Salt
    4. Add EVO Oil
    5. Add a freshly squeezed lemon juice from half of the lemon to retain that beautiful green color.
    6. Once all of the ingredients are in the Magic bullet Cup, close the lid and switch on the magic bullet.
      Mix it for about half a minute and when you see it all done, open the magic bullet Cup and add the rest of the basil leaves and oil into it.
    7. Once everything is fully mixed pour into a jar or a glass container that you can store in the refrigerator.
      I love my mason jars as you might already know, and I have stored this Keto Basil Pesto into one of the smaller size mason jars.
    8. Stored in the refrigerator it should last for up to a year.


Notes

  • Add a teaspoon to the Salad dressing for an Italian Flair
  • Few drops onto your freshly baked Fathead Pizza
  • Use wherever you normally would add fresh basil leaves and have just run out of them
  • Add into your dips for not only a beautiful color
  • Add it into any our your Keto Pasta choices
  • Make the best basil spreads you can use on our Keto Farmers Bread for Breakfast
  • Make a single-serve Basil butter to top up your steaks during a Keto BBQ grilling season
  • Make a special green mayonnaise for your dinner.
  • Make a super special Keto Egg Noodles with this yummy Simple Keto Basil Pesto

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information

Yield

1

Serving Size

1 Jar

Amount Per Serving Calories 50Total Fat 3gCarbohydrates 3gFiber 2gProtein 3g

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By Zuzana Paar on July 25th, 2020
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About Zuzana Paar

Zuzana is the creative force behind this vibrant blog. With passion as a recipe developer, content creator, food writer, movie maker, and photographer, she poured her heart and soul into curating a space brimming with delightful keto and low carb recipes. Join her on this flavorful journey where quick, easy-to-make dishes take center stage, bringing joy and nourishment to your table.

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