Vegan pesto is super simple to make. It’s a great way to use up leftover herbs and odd bits of nuts and seeds. Walnuts, almonds and pecans make great tasting pesto’s. If you need a completely nut free recipe make with just sunflower and pumpkin seeds and try adding some hemp seeds.
You can substitute the basil for parsley, spinach or coriander.
Serves 6
30g of basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp pumpkin or sunflower seeds (or 1/2 tbsp of each)
1/2 lemon zest
1 dsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper
Method for Vegan Pesto:
Put all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times. Do not leave motor running as you want the pesto to have some texture.
Add the oil and blitz again. If you don’t want the oil to emulsify, mix it through with a spatula or spoon rather than the food processor.
For a thin pesto add a little water (1-2tbspn). Check the seasoning and add more nutroinal yeast if needed.
Use straight away or put in a jar. Make sure the pesto is topped with a little olive oil and it should last a couple of weeks in the fridge.
On retreat we like to use vegan pesto to top tofu, bake in the oven and serve with ratatouille. Let me know what recipes you like to use vegan pesto for.
