5.0 from 24 votes
Vegan Pesto (Oil-Free Option)
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.
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 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.
Cup of Yum
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 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
Monounsaturated Fat
0g
Trans Fat
0g
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: 8servings
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.