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Dairy-free pesto in a bowl with a spoon dipped in.

Vegan Walnut Pesto Recipe (5 minutes!)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Tracy Halasz

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup arugula, Italian parsley or baby spinach
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup walnuts (pine nuts, cashews or almonds)
  • 2+ tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese* (more to taste)
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Make homemade vegan parmesan cheese or use your favorite store-bought vegan parmesan brand.
  • Add all the ingredients except the olive oil to food processor and blitz until chopped.
  • With the motor running, drizzle the oil through the spout of the food processor until it's a smooth (or chunky) loose sauce. Stop and scrape down the sides as necessary.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
  • Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for several days or freeze.

Notes

Greens: Basil is the traditional green in a classic pesto, but you can use any combination of greens like flat leaf Italian parsley, arugula or baby spinach. 
Nut Options: Use pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews or a combination of nuts in pesto sauce. Or a nut free pesto with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
EVOO: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. Add more or less to your preference.
Taste Test: Taste and adjust ingredients as desired - lemon for acidity and brightness, salt to bring out flavors, vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast for cheesiness, nuts for nuttiness and richness, and garlic for pungency.
Pro Tip: Lightly toast the nuts/seeds in a dry pan on the stove over medium-low heat. They go fast, so give the pan and shake or two and remove from heat when they are warm and fragrant.
Pesto Salad Dressing: To make a salad dressing for pasta salad or garden salad, thin the pesto sauce with a few tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar to make a tangy pesto vinaigrette. 
Storage: The pesto can be frozen. For convenience, freeze in ice cube trays, pop out, and move to freezer bag once frozen. Use them in soups and stews over the next couple of months.