Vegan Pesto (Oil-Free Option)
Servings:8 servings
This delicious vegan pesto comes together in a matter of minutes, and the only special equipment you'll need is a food processor or small blender. Oil-free option.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups basil leaves, tightly packed
- ½ cup pine nuts or raw walnut halves - or a heaping ⅓ cup raw seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or hemp seeds)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional - if omitting, add a bit of lemon zest or white miso, to taste
- 2 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt - or more to taste; reduce if using miso
- 2 tablespoons ice cold water OR extra virgin olive oil - you may need a bit more depending on the desired consistency
Instructions
- Add basil, nuts/seeds, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until paste-like, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and/or water.
- Taste for saltiness and acidity, adding more salt, lemon or nutritional yeast, if desired.
Notes
Use immediately in your favorite recipe or store the pesto in an air tight container for up to 4 days. Pesto can also be frozen in ice cube trays and thawed as needed. Once frozen, transfer the cubes or pesto to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 recipe | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.5g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 7.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg
