Homemade vegan pesto is a simple but delicious condiment that's packed with fresh flavors and can brighten up any dish you add it to. If you have adopted a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle and missing regular pesto then do try this easy vegan pesto recipe. It gets ready in just 5 minutes!
I love recipes in which a lot of fresh and flavorful herbs are used like pesto, Indian mint chutney, coriander chutney, or Middle Eastern tabbouleh.
After turning vegetarian, I had to stop eating a lot of my favorite dishes that have parmesan cheese in them as it's not a vegetarian ingredient. Pesto was one of them.
Pesto was one of my favorite condiments and I also had the habit of using it in a lot of my recipes like salads, pasta, and sandwiches. It was really challenging for me to stop using traditional pesto as it has parmesan cheese in it.
So, finding this easy vegan pesto recipe was such a relief for me. You can easily make it home in just 5 minutes.
If you are also a vegan or vegetarian and missing your pesto then this vegan pesto recipe is a must-try.
Ingredients needed
To make this homemade dairy-free pesto, you will need a few healthy ingredients that are shown below:
Ingredients needed and substitute suggestions
- Fresh basil: Pesto is generally made with basil. I love the strong and fresh flavor of basil in this sauce so make it with basil only. If you prefer a milder basil flavor, add some spinach along with basil. Other fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro can be added too along with basil if you want to add their flavor.
- Pine nuts: Pine nut is the most popular nut that's used in a classic pesto recipe but it's a very expensive nut. So, if you want you can add walnuts, pistachios, or almonds too for adding that nutty flavor to it. Toasted pine nuts will give you a better flavor and texture.
- Nutritional yeast: It's a deactivated yeast that's used as an ingredient in many vegan recipes to add the flavor of cheese to them. A lot of major grocery stores sell it these days. You can find it in their health food or baking aisle. Make sure to use good quality nutritional yeast. If you are not a fan of nutritional yeast, use vegan parmesan cheese. And, if you don't mind skipping the flavor of cheese in pesto, don't add nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese.
Other ingredient details and nutritional values are given in the recipe card ahead.
How to make vegan pesto at home?
Making this simple vegan pesto at home is very easy.
You just need to put all the ingredients- fresh basil, pine nuts, fresh garlic, nutritional yeast, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and water into a blending jar or food processor.
Blend until you get the desired texture. Some people prefer it smooths, others prefer it slightly coarse. You do you. Here I have made this pesto to use in a pasta dish so I have made it smooth. But usually, I prefer it with more texture.
Check and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to an airtight jar or container.
How to use pesto?
There are endless ways in which you can use this versatile sauce. You can use it as a pasta sauce. Just add a few tablespoons of this delicious vegan pesto to your favorite cooked pasta and make pesto pasta like this pesto orzo salad. Or, mix it with cooked rice to create a pesto rice recipe.
The fresh flavors of this great sauce make it an amazing salad dressing.
Another great way of using this delicious vegan pesto is as a spread in sandwiches and wraps.
You can also use pesto in casseroles and pizzas.
Or, add some pesto to hummus to make pesto hummus.
It elevates the flavor of every dish you add it to.
Storing tips
Store the leftover pesto in an airtight jar or container for around a week to 10 days. If you add a thin layer of olive oil on top of pesto, it can remain fresh for another 3-4 days.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
- Instead of pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, or almonds can be added too.
- For extra flavor, use toasted pine nuts. They will add more nutty flavor to the sauce.
- To make a nut-free version of this pesto, use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or hemp seeds instead of pistachios.
- To make oil-free pesto, use all water instead of olive oil. However, the shelf life of pesto will shorten if use only water.
- Discard the thick stems of basil leaves, don't use them in this recipe.
- You can give the classic pesto a twist by adding sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
- If you want to add some heat to pesto add some red pepper flakes or some hot green chili to it.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, nutritional yeast is a gluten-free ingredient.
Yes, you can freeze this vegan basil pesto for 6 months.
The best way to freeze it is in ice cube trays. Transfer the frozen cubes to a zip lock bag or airtight container and store them in the freezer.
You can freeze pesto in small jars and containers too but thawing only the required quantity will be easier if you save pesto in ice cubes form.
Other easy sauce recipes from around the world
If you enjoyed this dairy-free basil pesto recipe and want to try more easy sauce recipes from around the world then don't miss to check out the following links:
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Recipe
Homemade vegan pesto
Equipment
- Food processor/ blending jar
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- ¾ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, olive oil, and water in a food processor or blending jar.
- Blend to make a coarse paste. If required, add more water or olive oil to get the desired consistency.
- Check and adjust the seasoning.
Video
Notes
- Instead of pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, or almonds can be added too.
- For extra flavor, use toasted pine nuts. They will add more nutty flavor to the sauce.
- To make a nut-free version of this pesto, use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or hemp seeds instead of pistachios.
- To make oil-free pesto, use all water instead of olive oil. However, the shelf life of pesto will shorten if use only water.
- Discard the thick stems of basil leaves, don't use them in this recipe.
- You can give the classic pesto a twist by adding sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
- If you want to add some heat to pesto add some red pepper flakes or some hot green chili to it.
- More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
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