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    Home » Recipes » Sauces & Preparations

    Published: Jul 26, 2021 · Modified: Jul 19, 2022 · This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

    Mint Pesto (Pesto di Menta)

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    Mint Pesto
    VGF

    I bet not many have tried a Mint Pesto. We are all very familiar with the classic basil pesto, and if you are more curious, you may have tried the arugula or dry tomato ones. This fresh 5-minutes vegan mint sauce will make your dishes explode with freshness!

    Mint Pesto
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    We love pestos, ad we try different variations, to make either oil-free versions, or use our favorite green: Arugula, to give it a peppery note. The classic Basil one is a must-have, which we also use as a condiment for lasagnas, pizza, or in marinara sauces, to give it a flavor kick, just like the famous pesto rosso, which used sun-dried tomatoes as a base.

    Since we use carrots quite often for juicing, and we love zero-waste cooking, we always use carrot tops to make carrot greens pesto.

    This one was inspired by my arugula pesto recipe on this site and pairs well with this vegan poke bowl. We also love using the super-nutritious kale pesto, or pistachio pesto as a topping for roasted veggies like cauliflower steaks.

    Jump to:
    • 🧾 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍶 Substitutions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 🫙 Storage
    • 🥢 How to serve 
    • 📚 More multipurpose vegan sauces
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 🌡️ Food safety
    • 💬 Reviews and Comments

    🧾 Ingredients

    mint pesto ingredients
    mint pesto ingredients
    • Fresh mint leaves
    • Almonds
    • Lemon
    • Nutritional yeast
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Garlic
    • Salt

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    🔪 Instructions

    1 ) Roast the garlic cloves in a saucepan with a lid for 2-3 minutes until charred.

    2 ) Press the garlic cloves with a fork to separate them from the peeling. It should look like a puree.

    rosted garlic
    roasted garlic
    shelling roasted garlic
    shelling roasted garlic
    roasted garlic
    pureed roasted garlic

    3 ) Wash and Separate the mint leaves from the stems.

    4) Blend. Put all the ingredients in the food processor.

    5 ) Adjust with water for fluidness or nutritional yeast for thickness (optional).

    separating mint leaves from stems

    separate leaves from stems
    Mint pesto ingredients in Food Processor
    Add to a food processor
    Thinning Mint Pesto with extra water
    Thin-up Mint Pesto with water

    Hint: you don't need to thin up the pesto with water unless you are looking to use it as a cream to add a dollop to a poke bowl. Thick pesto goes perfectly well with pasta, as the warm pasta does all the work as soon as you stir in the pesto.

    Mint Pesto
    Mint Pesto

    🍶 Substitutions

    • Mint - replace mint for basil, arugula, roasted bell pepper, or dry tomatoes in oil.
    • Vegetarian - use parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast in equal amounts.
    • Whole Foods Plant-based diet - instead of olive oil, use hemp seeds and avoid the use of salt. The hemp seeds have a high oil content but are still considered whole food and are lower in fat than olive oil. Find a Parsley-Basil oil-free version as well.

    📖 Variations

    • Smoother - you can either use shelled almonds or shell them by pouring boiling water on them and letting them soak for an hour. After that, you can easily shell them with the tips of your finger, pressing on each of them.
    • Deluxe - change the almonds for pinenuts.
    • Garlicky - don't roast the garlic cloves; throw them directly on the food processor.
    • Thinner - add an equal amount of water to olive oil.
    • Peppery - add a teaspoon of ground black pepper.

    🍽 Equipment

    You can use either an immersion blender or a food processor.

    I prefer using an immersion blender when making small quantities and a food processor when tripling the amounts.

    Kitchen aid food processor
    Food Processor
    immersion blender

    If you prefer a more rustic and authentic pesto, you can chop all the ingredients using a "mezzaluna" (half-moon). Just chop the almonds, garlic and mint leaves separately on a chopping board.

    Mezzaluna for making pesto

    Then mix everything together in a bowl.

    🫙 Storage

    Store pesto in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered.

    You can also freeze-thaw pesto in small quantities, using an ice cube tray, and use the amounts you need, easily adding them to your pasta or sauce or thawing them one hour in advance.

    🥢 How to serve 

    Use it on your favorite paste. Simple stir in your organic, whole-bran pasta as soon as you strain it.

    Thin it up with a bit of water, so it is more liquid, and add it to your Poke Bowl to give it a kick of flavor and freshness.

    Pouring mint sauce on Vegan Poke Bowl
    Pouring mint sauce on Vegan Poke Bowl

    This pesto also works beautifully with noodles and ravioli.

    Read on: how to make your own fresh vegan pasta dough and homemade noodles!

    📚 More multipurpose vegan sauces

    • Marinara sauce
    • Arugula Pesto
    • Basil Pesto
    • Vegan Bechamel Sauce
    • Green Goddess Sauce (no-oil)

    Try our roasted red pepper tofu pesto recipe for an oil-free, healthier pesto option.

    ⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

    📋 Recipe

    Mint Pesto

    Vegan Mint Pesto Recipe

    Gus
    I bet not many have tried a Mint Pesto. We are all very familiar with the classic basil pesto, and if you are more curious you may have tried the arugula or dry tomato ones. This fresh 5-minutes vegan mint sauce will make your dishes explode with freshness!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Basics & Preparations, Sauces & Dressings
    Cuisine Healthy, Italian-Inspired
    Servings 4 Servings
    Calories 248 kcal

    Equipment

    My favorite blender: BlendTec Brand..
    (affiliate link)
    Blender (affiliate link)
    our favorite small saucepan cuisine art.
    (affiliate link)
    Small Saucepan (affiliate link)

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 ounces mint fresh leaves
    • 5 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
    • 3 tablespoons almonds or walnuts / pinenuts
    • 3 cloves garlic roasted, or 1 raw
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juiced
    • 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast cheesy kind
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

    Optional:

    • 5 tablespoons water to thin up
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Directions
     

    • Roast the garlic cloves in sauce pan with a lid for 2-3 minutes until charred.
      3 cloves garlic
    • Press the garlic cloves with a fork to sepate from the peeling. It shoulkd look like a puree.
      3 cloves garlic
    • Wash and Separate the mint leaves from the stems.
      2 ounces mint
    • Blend. Put all the ingredients on the food processor or you can also use a small blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
      2 ounces mint, 5 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons almonds, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • Adjust with water for fluidness or nutritional yeast for thickness.
      5 tablespoons water

    Video

    Notes

    You can adjust how creamy or fluid you want the pesto by adding some more water or olive oil. This one is a thick version.

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 588mgPotassium: 341mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 604IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram and Hashtag it #ourplantbasedworld so we can see what's cooking!!
    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Mint Pesto Recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    248
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    22
    g
    34
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    15
    g
    Sodium
     
    588
    mg
    26
    %
    Potassium
     
    341
    mg
    10
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    9
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    5
    g
    21
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    7
    g
    14
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    604
    IU
    12
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    9
    mg
    11
    %
    Calcium
     
    61
    mg
    6
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
     
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    🌡️ Food safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    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.

    Affiliate Disclaimer

    Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I recommend all of the products listed because they are companies I have found helpful and trustworthy.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Gina says

      October 22, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      Love this twist on pesto! It's great just spread on some toast too!

      Reply
    2. SHANIKA says

      October 22, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      I've never tried making pesto using mint leaves, but this sounds amazing and absolutely flavorful! I need to try this ASAP!

      Reply
    3. Natalie says

      October 22, 2021 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      I never used mint pesto sauce before. Sounds so good. Refreshing and unique. I will definitely give this a try.

      Reply
    4. Alisa Infanti says

      October 22, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      I have so much mint so gave this a try. It is fantastic and loved it on my sandwich

      Reply

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