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Vegan Pesto

This gluten-free, vegan pesto recipe is just as good as traditional pesto, even without the cheese! It's delicious on pasta, pizza, crusty bread, and more. See the post above for additional serving suggestions.

Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts or pepitas
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil more for a smoother pesto
Optional Add-ins
  • nutritional yeast
  • capers
  • sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
  2. Add the basil and pulse until combined.
  3. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined.
  4. 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 any leftover pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays. Then, transfer the pesto cubes to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.