5 from 21 votes
Easy Vegan Pesto (10 Mins)
This Easy Vegan Pesto blends fresh basil, spinach or alternatives, sunflower and pine nuts, garlic, and lemon zest into a coarse, bright green sauce. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor without dairy. Olive oil and water adjust the consistency, producing a versatile condiment with herbaceous, nutty, and lemony notes, suitable for pasta, salads, or sandwiches. The recipe accommodates nut-free adaptations and can be refrigerated or frozen.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings:
4
Calories:
123 kcal
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil packed, fresh
- 1 cup spinach or baby kale, or loosely packed parsley, cilantro or more basil
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds or hemp seeds
- 3 tbsp pine nuts or use almonds, cashews, walnuts, (hemp seeds or more sunflower seeds for nutfree, or pecans
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast , optional, add a cheesy flavor, or use vegan parmesan of choice
- lemon or use lemon juice to taste, zest of half
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- water as needed
- black pepper , red pepper flakes or other flavor addition
Instructions
- Add basil, spinach, sunflower seeds, pecans, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, lemon zest to a food processor. Process until a coarse mixture.
- Add olive oil and a tbsp or so water. and process again. Add more water if needed to make a homogeneous mixture.
- Taste and adjust flavor. Add more oil to preference, adjust salt, add more nutritional yeast for cheesier. Use with pasta, salads, over pizza, over garlic bread, in sandwiches with roasted veggies and other applications. Store refrigerated for upto 5 days. Freeze in ice cubes.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- For nut-free pesto, substitute nuts entirely with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or hemp seeds.
- If using large or hard nuts, pulse them separately first to create a coarse meal before adding greens and other ingredients.
- Adjust consistency with extra olive oil or water to preference when blending.
- Store pesto refrigerated up to five days or freeze in portions for longer use.
Nutrition Information
Calories
123kcal
(6%)
Carbohydrates
4g
(1%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
10g
(15%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Sodium
155mg
(6%)
Potassium
186mg
(4%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
1215IU
(24%)
Vitamin C
4.2mg
(5%)
Calcium
23mg
(2%)
Iron
1.2mg
(7%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 123
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 123kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 155mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 186mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 1215IU | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 4.2mg | 5% |
| Calcium | 23mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1.2mg | 7% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.