5 from 24 votes
Vegan Pesto (Oil-Free Option)
This vegan pesto blends fresh basil leaves with pine nuts or alternative nuts and seeds, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt to create a herbaceous, tangy spread. The texture is thick and paste-like, with options to thin it with water or olive oil depending on preference. Nutritional yeast adds a savory depth, and optional lemon zest or miso can enhance flavor if yeast is omitted. This pesto can be used immediately or stored for later use.
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings:
8
servings
Calories:
80 kcal
Course:
Condiments
Cuisine:
Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups basil leaves tightly packed
- ½ cup pine nuts or a heaping ⅓ cup raw seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or hemp seeds, or raw walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast if omitting, add a bit of lemon zest or white miso, to taste, optional
- 2 small cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste; reduce if using miso, sea salt
- 2 tablespoons water you may need a bit more depending on the desired consistency, ice cold, or extra virgin olive oil
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.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Use the pesto right away or keep it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- For longer storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays and transfer cubes to a sealed container; it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1/8 recipe
Calories
80kcal
(4%)
Carbohydrates
2.5g
(1%)
Protein
2.5g
(5%)
Fat
7.5g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
0.7g
(4%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0g
(0%)
Monounsaturated Fat
0g
(0%)
Trans Fat
0g
(0%)
Cholesterol
0mg
(0%)
Sodium
30mg
(1%)
Potassium
0mg
(0%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
0g
(0%)
Vitamin A
0IU
(0%)
Vitamin C
0mg
(0%)
Calcium
0mg
(0%)
Iron
0mg
(0%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 80
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/8 recipe | |
| Calories | 80kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 2.5g | 1% |
| Protein | 2.5g | 5% |
| Fat | 7.5g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.7g | 4% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 30mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 0mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 0g | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 0IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 0mg | 0% |
| Iron | 0mg | 0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.