This Basil Pesto is a vegan and dairy-free version with all the same bright and herby flavors as traditional pesto! This recipe makes a good sized batch of pesto which can all be used for a large pasta dish or frozen for later use. Whether you’re working with garden-fresh basil or a store-bought bunch, this pesto is simple, vibrant, and far more flavorful than anything from a jar!
Tips for Success
- Add olive oil at the end.
By stirring the olive oil with a rubber spatula instead of using the food processor, the olive oil molecules stay intact, giving the pesto a more rustic flavor and preventing it from becoming bitter. - High heat can make pesto bitter.
High heat can dull pesto’s vibrant green color and create bitter flavors. For the best results, stir it in after cooking rather than heating it directly. - Don’t freeze longer than 3 months.
Pesto is truly best enjoyed fresh. If you do freeze it, using within 1-2 months is best as the longer it’s frozen the more likely it is to get freezer burn as well as lose it’s bright, fresh flavors.
Using Pesto
Pesto is versatile and can be used in an array of different dishes! Some of my favorite uses for pesto:
- Toss with pasta. Try my Basil Pesto Pasta with Tofu and Veggies!
- Spread on sandwiches. Even just a simple sandwich, with sautéed veggies and avocado.
- Drizzle over roasted veggies.
- Stir into grains, such as quinoa or rice.
- Base as a pizza.
Ingredient Spotlight
Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil gives pesto its silky texture and helps bind everything together. It’s rich in monounsaturated fats and naturally occurring antioxidant compounds, making it both flavorful and versatile. A balanced amount keeps the pesto bright without overwhelming the basil.
Basil
Fresh basil brings a vibrant, green flavor with subtle notes of mint, anise, and pepper. While it’s best known for its aroma and taste, basil also contains antioxidant compounds and is especially high in vitamin K.
When basil is abundant, I make pesto using all basil leaves. If I’m buying basil from the store, sometimes I stretch it with spinach or even a little kale or arugula to make it budget friendly, but totally optional.
Walnuts
Walnuts add body and a mild nuttiness that works beautifully in dairy-free pesto. They’re a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and give the sauce richness without overpowering the herbs.
Pesto Variations
Pesto isn’t limited to just basil, or even greens! Pesto can be made from a variety of ingredients and it’s fun to try dishes with different variations.
- Olive Pesto Pasta is creamy, tangy, and delicious.
- Mint pesto pasta is fantastic way to utilize all that wild mint growing in your yard!
- Arugula Pesto Pasta has a unique, exciting peppery note from the arugula leaves.
- Stinging Nettle Pesto is made from free greens harvested early spring that give pesto a bright, herbacious flavor with tons of nutrients.
Basil Pesto (Vegan and Dairy Free)
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh basil tightly packed and large stems removed
- 1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil more if desired
Instructions
- Fit food processor with chopping blade. Add walnuts (or pine nuts) and garlic and process until chopped. Add basil leaves, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt, and process until everything is finely chopped and a paste consistency, stopping to scrape the sides a few times.
- Remove the blade and stir in 1-3 Tbsp olive oil until pesto is creamy, using a rubber spatula. (Stirring in olive oil will help prevent pesto from being bitter!) Taste pesto, and add anything more it may need.
