Classic Pistou

The classic French pistou is an olive oil and basil sauce that’s like a pesto without pine nuts! It adds a burst of freshness to any dish.

Want a spin on pesto without pine nuts? Try Pistou! Pistou is the classic French cousin of pesto, and it’s even simpler: all you need are basil, garlic, and olive oil. Mash it into a paste and you’ve got a chunky sauce that’s great for dipping and drizzling. In fact, we might like it just as much as classic basil pesto. It’s like a nut free dairy free pesto that packs just as much flavor. Come, experience the magic!

Ingredients in pistou

Pistou is a classic French sauce from Provence made with olive oil, basil and garlic. It’s like an Italian pesto without pine nuts or Parmesan cheese. Some modern recipes for pistou add cheese, but at it’s core it’s just three ingredients. Pistou is served as a condiment or for dipping. It’s also famously used as a garnish for soupe au pistou, a soup similar to minestrone. To make pistou, you’ll need 3 ingredients plus salt:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Basil
• Garlic

Use a small blender or mortar and pestle for pistou

The traditional way to make pistou is using a mortar and pestle to mash it into a sauce (similar to with pesto). It’s easiest and quickest with an immersion blender. Here are a few notes on the methods:

• Immersion blender or small blender: A small blender is key here since you have a small quantity of sauce. An immersion blender is great (and works for soups too).
• Mortar and pestle: A mortar and pestle is the traditional way to make pistou, and it’s fun to mash it if you have one on hand. It does take longer than the blender method, and the basil can get stringy since it doesn’t have much to mash against to provide friction like in a pesto.

Pistou is dairy free pesto without pine nuts

Pistou is a great option for people with dietary restrictions who want to enjoy the flavors of a traditional pesto. This classic French sauce is a version of pesto without pine nuts, and it’s a dairy free pesto since it has no Parmesan cheese. Because it lacks these two ingredients, pistou has a looser texture than pesto: it’s not as thick and creamy.

There are other methods to make a pesto without pine nuts, including cashew pesto or walnut pesto. There’s also vegan pesto that’s dairy free but substitutes ingredients for cheese. But pistou is a sauce especially designed without these ingredients: it tastes beautifully fresh and garlicky on its own.

Blanch the basil for an ever-green pistou

Here’s a little tip: leftover pistou turns dark green to brown as it sits. If you plan to have this pistou on hand for leftovers, you may want to blanch the basil first. Here’s what to know:

• Blanching is a cooking method where you boil vegetables until they’re crisp tender, then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. This locks in the bright green color of vegetables that turn brown.
• Boil only 30 seconds to 1 minute. The boiling time is quick: you just want it to be bright green! Add the basil to a small saucepan of boiling water and boil until bright green, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Immediately plunge into an ice bath. This stops the cooking process and locks in the color. Once the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Ways to serve pistou

You can use pistou for garnishing, dipping, and most ways you’d use a pesto. The only exception is pasta: it’s not as thick and saucy as pesto, so expect it to be a light olive oil-based coating. We recommend it more for garnishes on soups and stews or for drizzling over breads or salads. Here are some ideas:

• Stews and soups: Add it to classic French Rataouille, or a minestrone or vegetable soup
• Dip for bread: Serve it with Crostini or French bread for dipping.
• Tomato salad: Drizzle on Fresh Tomato Salad.
• Caprese salad: Step up your Caprese salad with this sauce.
• Shrimp: Drizzle on Sauteed Shrimp or Grilled Shrimp.
• Salmon: Try over Baked Salmon or Grilled Salmon.
• Scallops: Drizzle it over Pan Seared Scallops or Grilled Scallops.

More basil recipes

This pistou recipe is the perfect use for a big bunch of fresh basil! A few more great basil recipes you’ll love:

• Try classic Best Basil Pesto
• Go for a fresh Fresh Basil Vinaigrette
• Try Basil Aioli as a dip for fries
• Grab garlicky green Basil Sauce (similar to pistou)

01

Basil Pesto Recipe

02

Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

03

Basil Aioli

04

Basil Sauce

This pistou recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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