This easy low fodmap pesto only takes five minutes to make and contains four ingredients: basil, grated parmesan cheese, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. It is nut-free, gluten-free, fresh, and flavourful.
The garlic-free pesto is perfect for anyone on the low fodmap diet for SIBO or IBS, as garlic is one of the most problematic high fodmap foods that people react to or notice that their SIBO symptoms worsen. If garlic makes you bloated or causes burping, abdominal pain, and excess gas, then this low fodmap basil pesto is for you!
To make this low fodmap pesto recipe, place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend. You can also use an immersion blender to mix the pesto but first chop the basil before putting it into a mason jar with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until you have a slightly chunky texture.
Once blended, the recipe yields approx. 1/3 of a cup, so you can double the recipe to make a larger batch. Store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge if you don’t use it right away, or freeze any extras into rubber ice cube trays to use at a later date.
Ways to use this low fodmap pesto recipe
Enjoy the low fodmap pesto as a snack with low fodmap crackers or make a low fodmap pesto pasta. You can also use the fodmap-friendly pesto to make these low fodmap zucchini fritters!
While I love a good pesto pasta as it is one of my favorite comfort meals, pasta is still a refined carbohydrate that I try to limit in my diet. Instead, I like to enjoy this low fodmap pesto with quinoa (my number one choice), or you can also serve it with basmati rice.
Make a low fodmap dinner bowl with grilled chicken, sauteed zucchini, and cooked quinoa, all seasoned with this low fodmap pesto—such an easy yet delicious meal.
You can also make a low fodmap breakfast scramble with cooked potato, egg, and spinach seasoned with the basil pesto.
Grilled zucchini is the best low fodmap vegetable to serve with this garlic-free pesto and is an excellent addition to many dinner meals.
This low fodmap pesto is made without pine nuts or garlic, yet it still has an authentic pesto flavor due to grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil. Parmesan is quite salty, so I only added a dash of Himalayan salt to taste.
Many storebought pestos contain 50% or more vegetable oil in the pesto sauce, which are unhealthy fats. I only used a tbsp of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil in this recipe to keep the processed oil to a minimum. Even olive oil is a processed fat high in calories.
Although when cold-pressed olive oil is combined with fresh basil and lemon, this pesto is brimming with phytonutrients. Aromatic herbs such as basil are great for gut health and reducing inflammation.
Basil leaf extract has been shown to increase antioxidant enzyme production, including reduced glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. These enzymes are the body’s internal antioxidant enzymes that reduce inflammation and break down harmful free radicals. Basil also has antimicrobial activities against various bacteria, mold, and yeast.
You can taste the freshness of this low fodmap pesto with a slight zest from the lemon juice and perfectly salty and cheesy from the grated parmesan cheese. It is vibrant green, nutritious and delicious, unlike storebought pesto, which lacks the rich green color and is full of excess salt and preservatives.
Enjoy this easy homemade garlic-free pesto that is great for anyone on the low fodmap diet. I left out pine nuts as they are a pretty penny and not always easy to find, but if you want to splurge and can easily find them go ahead and add a couple of tablespoons to this recipe 😊
Parmesan cheese is a high histamine food, so if you are histamine intolerant, try making this low histamine basil pesto with hemp seeds!
Low Fodmap Pesto
Equipment
- high speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaved
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp grated parmesan
Instructions
- De stem 1 cup of fresh basil leaves and wash before placing in the blender.
- Cut a lemon in half and squeeze out 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice into the blender.
- Measure olive oil and grated parmesan into the blender and season with a touch of salt prior to blending. Blend until you have a slightly chunky pesto.
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