Vegan Pesto
User Reviews
5
Vegan Pesto
Description
Vegan Pesto starts with a base of toasted pine nuts or pepitas, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper pulsed in a food processor until chunky. Fresh basil leaves are then added and combined. While the processor runs, extra-virgin olive oil is drizzled in to emulsify and smooth the mixture into a thick sauce. Optional add-ins such as nutritional yeast can provide a cheesy flavor, capers add brininess, and sun-dried tomatoes introduce umami richness. The pesto can be adjusted to preference by increasing olive oil for a looser texture or adding more optional ingredients for complexity.
This versatile sauce is suitable for coating pasta, spreading on bread, or enhancing vegetables. The fresh herbs combined with nuts and olive oil yield a rich yet plant-based condiment.
Leftover pesto should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consumed within two days for best freshness. For longer storage, freezing pesto in ice cube trays followed by transferring cubes to a sealed container can preserve it for up to two months.
Ingredients
- ½ cup pine nuts toasted, or pepitas
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 1 garlic small clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt sea salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 2 cups basil fresh leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil more for a smoother pesto
Optional Add-ins
- nutritional yeast
- capers
- sun-dried tomatoes
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined.
- For extra cheesy flavor, add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast. For brinier flavor, add 2 teaspoons capers. For more umami, add 2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Briefly pulse to combine. Taste and adjust, adding more nutritional yeast, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes, as desired. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
Notes
- Store leftover pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Freeze excess pesto in ice cube trays and then transfer to a sealed container for up to 2 months.
- Adjust olive oil amount to achieve preferred pesto consistency.
- Add optional ingredients like nutritional yeast, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes to customize flavor.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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