8-Ingredient Simple Vegan Basil Pesto
Difficulty: 1/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: Makes 1 cup
The Challenge: Easy Vegan Pesto
Everyone needs a go-to pesto recipe. This basil pesto recipe is an absolute gem for your staples! Pesto recipes often involve cheese + even cream sometimes. To make a simple vegan pesto, we turn to the nutty cheesy flavors from actual nuts as well as an ingredient called nutritional yeast.
If you haven't worked with the ingredient before, it is amazing! The ingredient can be found at nearly any grocery store now in the organic foods section or ordered online. Bob's Red Mill makes a great version. The ingredient tastes like powdered cheese and is a staple of any vegan kitchen.
When we use that plus walnuts in this simple pesto - we get the exact pesto flavor you love! What's great about pesto is while this one is basil-based, you can easily sub in arugula / spinach / parsley / broccoli greens / chard and so much more!
With only eight needed ingredients and about ten minutes of your time, this is a perfect dish.
Best part - it'll be the focal point of our upcoming Handmade Gnocchi recipe releasing very soon!
Note - you need a food processor to make the pesto. If you don't have one, I highly recommend getting one. BUT - you can use a blender in place of it. It will just be a bit harder and will need to scrape down the edges more often.
Let's get into it!
Ingredients:
Pesto
- 3 cups basil, packed
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2-3 garlic cloves (how garlicky do you like it?)
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 2.5 tbl of olive oil
Equipment You'll Need:
Cutting Board . Sharp Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Food Processor . Spatula
Before You Cook:
- Wash and cut all fresh ingredients
1. Add basil to a food processor. Pulse 5-6 times to start to break down the basil.
2. Next, add the rest of the ingredients sans the oil to the processor.
3. Turn the food processor on and drizzle in the olive oil while it blends. Turn off once all oil is in. Scrape down sides and run again for 8-10 seconds until well blended.
4. Once the mixing is done, the pesto is ready. Transfer to a bowl and use immediately or store for up to 48 hours. Great in pasta / dips / salad dressings / breakfast scrambles and so much more!
