Delish Fresh Basil Vegan Pesto
Bright, herby vegan pesto bursting with fresh basil, garlic, lemon, and nutty notes from pine nuts and nutritional yeast. Perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or drizzling over roasted veggies.
Rate This Yum
Pin This Recipe For Later!
Share The Yum On Facebook
Print
Servings:
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 0.33 cups pine nuts walnuts work too
- 2 cloves garlic use 1 clove for milder flavor
- 0.25 cups nutritional yeast adds cheesy flavor
- 0.5 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- 0.25 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cold water as needed to thin
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Rinse and thoroughly dry the basil leaves to prevent a watery pesto.
- In a food processor, add pine nuts, garlic, and kosher salt. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add basil and nutritional yeast. Pulse in short bursts until the basil is broken down and mixture looks coarse.
- With the processor running, slowly stream in olive oil and lemon juice until creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Adjust seasoning with black pepper and more salt if needed. If too thick, pulse in cold water a little at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Serve right away or transfer to a jar, smooth the top, and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to keep green. Refrigerate.
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months (ice cube tray works great). For nut-free, sub sunflower seeds. For extra brightness, add 0.5 teaspoon lemon zest. Toss with hot pasta, spread on sandwiches, or drizzle over grilled veggies.