Avocado Pesto Salad Dressing

Looking for a creamy, vibrant dressing that goes with just about everything? This avocado pesto salad dressing is my favorite for brightening up any dish. I’ll show you how to make it rich, herby, velvety, and made in just five minutes!

The creaminess of the avocado blends perfectly with the fresh herbs to create a truly irresistible dressing. 🥑

In the summer, my basil plant grows faster than I can use it. Let me be clear: this is absolutely not a complaint; I love nothing more than a flourishing herb garden! I am always looking for ways to use my basil, so I knew exactly what to do when I found myself with a handful of basil and a ripe avocado on the counter. I’ve been making this avocado pesto salad dressing ever since. I love so many things about it – it’s easy to make in minutes, made with good-for-you ingredients, and bright and fresh in taste. I also love how the avocado makes it creamy, yet it’s still dairy-free! When a recipe is this easy and delicious, it’s hard not to keep it in rotation.

Key ingredients

8 ingredients is all you need to craft this delicious, bright dressing. Gather these items:

Basil: Fresh basil leaves are the way to go here. Dried basil won’t cut it for this recipe. If you can’t get your hands on some fresh basil, you could try using pesto and mixing an avocado into it instead.
A ripe avocado: Choose one that’s dark in color, and yields slightly when you press your thumb into it (but doesn’t feel mushy). If you’re unsure, check the stem. It should fall away easily to reveal a lovely green color inside.
Toasted cashews nuts: In a pinch, you can use pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, or almonds.
Other ingredients: Olive oil, sea salt, fresh lemon juice, garlic clove, and cold water.

Avocado Pesto Salad Dressing being poured over cauliflower salad - 2

One of my favorite ways to serve this dressing is over cauliflower salad, but it’s also delicious on heartier greens, tomato salad, cucumbers, or grain bowls.

Pro tip

Make sure to add everything EXCEPT the avocado and water to the blender first – this helps break down the tougher ingredients before you add the delicate avocado. Then, add the avocado and water to make it creamy and smooth. Done!

Note ⇢ If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can finely chop everything, then mash it together with the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, and water until creamy. You could also use a mortar and pestle if you have one. The consistency will be chunkier, like guacamole, but still very tasty.

Ways to use this avocado pesto salad dressing

This avocado pesto dressing is as versatile as it is delicious. Here are some ways I like to enjoy it:

On a salad: I always toss my cauliflower salad or this tomato and cucumber salad with this avocado basil pesto dressing. It’s great on top of leafy green salads, kale, or grain salads for a creamy, flavorful boost.
As a dip: With fresh veggies, pita bread, or crackers.
Sandwich spread: Spread your avocado pesto sauce on sandwiches, toast, wraps, or burgers for an extra layer of flavor.
Drizzle: It’s delicious over roasted vegetables, on pizza, or on top of a protein. I also love it with this burger bowl .

Storing avocado pesto dressing

Store: Place in a jar or airtight container and refrigerate. It lasts for 2-3 days. After that, it starts to change color. It’s probably safe to eat, but it doesn’t look as nice.

Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as the avocado texture changes in the freezer.