Vegan Basil Pesto

Basil, Parmigiano, olive oil, pine nuts and you have pesto. That’s your good old stuff. All you have to do is get the best ingredients money can buy and make yourself a fantastic pasta sauce. That is until you discover how to make the best vegan basil pesto !

And 39.99 $/lb for pine nuts ? That’s just where you lost me.

Back story :

Idriss, at home, staring at a bunch of basil, his mind wondering : How am I to make pesto, without using cheese ? 

Vegan basil pesto !

Vegan Basil Pesto

Now I’m gonna be honest with you, I just didn’t wanna get out of my PJs on a Sunday just to get some parmesan. So I thought hey, I’ll make it vegan, it might just work. 

Guess what ? It did.

Not only that it turned out just like pesto, it was more flavorful and the basil freshness stood out a lot more. And that is why I only make this one now. 

Here are my 3 favourite reasons to choose vegan basil pesto :

• It is vegan ! duh … Which means there is no saturated fat in here which makes much better for your heart.
• Instead of parmesan, I used nutritional yeast and turmeric. These are two amazing super foods that gives a nice nutty cheesy taste and pack lots of vitamins, fiber, minerals, and protein.
• The fact that parmesan is absent here makes the basil stand out a lot more.

Vegan Basil Pesto

Just look at that gorgeous color. You can add this to your pasta, on top of your bread or in your favourite sandwich. It’s a real healthy treat.

Do you like this vegan basil pesto ? Pin this and make it later !

Vegan Basil Pesto

Don’t be afraid to put your own spin on this vegan basil pesto and of course share it with us. I would love to see what you guys and gals make.

In the meantime, don’t forget to be awesome.

Idriss

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5 from 4 votes

Basil Vegan Pesto

Learn how to make an easy vegan pesto in 10 minutes or less !

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Idriss

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of basil you can leave the stems.
• Juice and zest of half a lemon.
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
• 1 Tbsp or 2 if you want of nutritional yeast.
• 1/2 Tsp of turmeric.
• 1 Tbsp of cashew butter.

I use cashew butter because it has a creamy texture and a very subtle taste. You can try a different nut butter, but just remember that if the taste is strong, it will overwhelm your pesto.

• Salt to taste.

Instructions

• In a blender or food processor, throw in your basil, lemon juice and zest and your olive oil. Blend.
• Now add your nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt and cashew butter and blend.
• You should end up now with a thick creamy sauce as shown in the picture.
• Taste and add salt if you need to.
• Done !

If you find that it doesn't taste cheesy enough for you, just add another Tbsp of nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp of turmeric.