5 minutes Vegan Pesto

This Easy Vegan Basil Pesto is one of my favorite Italian preparation. Not only can you make great pasta, but you can use it to boost the flavor of other dishes.

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Sometimes I add it to a stew, make bruschettas or add it to pizzas. I also use pesto as a sandwiches’ spread to instantly boost its flavor instead of using mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• Basil leaves
• Olive oil extra-virgin
• Pine nuts or walnuts
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Nutritional yeast
• Sea salt

Instructions

How to Make a Vegan Pesto?

Making a vegan pesto is very simple, just follow these simple two steps.

Toss the garlic for a couple of minutes in a skillet with a lid. That way, the garlic will lose its intense flavor. If you choose not to do this, reduce the number of garlic cloves by one.

Add everything to a food processor or blender and you have it!

You can easily find pesto in stores worldwide as it is one of the favorites sauces everywhere because it is rich in flavor and versatile.

5 Reasons why you should make your own

1. Looking at the ingredients of store-bought pesto, I realized how many preservatives and chemicals they have. You should be in complete control of what I put in your body.
2. They have cheese, and dairy is something my body doesn’t always tolerate well. So cheese, in general, is not suitable for your body.
3. If you are vegan, including Nutritional Yeast in your diet is essential. This pesto replaces Cheese with Nutritional Yeast to make up for the traditional pesto cheesy flavor.
4. You can make a lot and save some money. For example, I used to buy a lot of pesto, as I use it at least twice a week. But, making your pesto is suitable for your pocket!
5. Pesto has a basil base. Fresh Basil is considered a superfood, so you deliciously include it in your diet with this pesto.

What is Pesto?

There are many kinds of pesto; Pesto Alla Genovese is the traditional one and consists of seven ingredients, according to il Consorzio del Pesto Genovese (the Academy of Pesto). These ingredients are Basil leaves, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Pecorino Cheese (Sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia), Garlic, Pine nuts, Coarse Salt.

It is common to replace pine nuts with walnuts since pine nuts may be challenging to find and relatively expensive.

The standard pesto products found in Italy are Pesto Alla Calabrese (Hot Peppers), Pesto Alla Siciliane (Ricotta Cheese and Nuts), Pesto Rosso (with tomatoes). Then you have more Gourmet pestos made out of Pistachio nuts.

In a nutshell, to make a pesto, you need a Leaf or Vegetable (such as FRESH Basil or Arugula, Red Peppers, or Tomato), Cheese, Garlic, and Oil. The variations come with imagination. Check our Vegan Arugula Pesto.

My version

Here I am replacing the Cheese Component with Cheesy Nutritional Yeast. It is essential to have good quality and cheesy nutritional yeast; otherwise, it won’t make it for the recipe’s lack of cheese. Also, some Nutritional Yeasts are neutral or are even fruit-scented, which, of course, won’t work.

Another plus of having this vegan version is that it is dairy-free. Therefore, lactose-intolerant individuals can consume it, and nutritional yeast is packed with protein and has a very low-calorie count compared to cheese.

Storing

You can store your pesto in the refrigerator for three days. Alternatively, you can keep it frozen in ice cubes for a couple of months and use them as needed.

Health benefits of basil

Did you know that basil is considered a Superfood?

Although basil is primarily known as a flavor enhancer, studies indicate that adding this herb to your daily diet can provide anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, Immune System boosters, anti-stress, diabetes, and arthritis management properties. Thus, basil is a well-rounded fighter in the battle to improve overall health. In addition, Basil may also help control stress, aging, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Want to know more about basil benefits?

Find out more about Nutritional Yeast benefits.

More Italian Favorites?

• Stuffed Pasta Shells with Pesto Sauce
• Lemony Spaghetti
• Saffron Risotto
• Vegan Arugula Pesto

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

Recipe: Easy Vegan Pesto

Gus

Pesto is one of my favorite Italian preparation. Not only can you make great pasta, but you can use it to boost the flavor of other dishes.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Course Preparation, Sauce

Cuisine Italian, Plant-based, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 255 kcal

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

 

CupsMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 cups basil leaves fresh
• 5 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 garlic cloves cooked, skin on, see how-to below
• 1 tablespoons lemons juiced
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast cheesy kind
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

 

• Roast the garlic. Set the fire to medium-high and put the garlic cloves on a pan with a lid. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the skin, starts to burn outside. Let them cool and peel.
  3 garlic cloves
• Blend. Put all the ingredients on the food processor or you can also use an immersion blender.
  2 cups basil leaves, 5 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 tablespoons lemons, 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Adjust with water for fluidness or nutritional yeast for thickness.

Video

Notes

I recommend saving one of the garlic cloves, so you can taste and adjust, in case you don’t want it to be too garlicky. The reason I cook the garlic clove before-hand is to avoid the strong garlic flavor. If you prefer to avoid cooking the garlic cloves, you can skip it, but make sure you take off the center greenish stem from them.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 292mgPotassium: 320mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 636IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

Keyword pesto, sauce

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The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

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