Vegan Pesto Sauce

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Feel free to add extras like sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or chili flakes for an added flavor dimension.

This vegan pesto sauce recipe, bursting with flavor, offers a guilt-free pleasure for serving your family. Its versatility shines through, especially for lactose-intolerant family members, as it cleverly substitutes cheese with nutritional yeast. This adaptation ensures everyone can enjoy its rich, savory taste without compromise.

I’ve shared in the past about my journey with vegetarianism and veganism. For nine years, I embraced this lifestyle, but eventually, I frequently dreamed about eating meat. This recurring theme led me to believe that my body was signaling a need for more protein, prompting me to reconsider my dietary choices.

But I didn’t stop using nutritional yeast. I love the taste, and the recipes I most use it in are soups.

Nutritional yeast and its uses

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast with a robust flavor. If you haven’t had it before, it tastes cheesy and nutty. Like some cheeses, it can also be pungent and earthy-tasting.

That makes it perfect to add to various sauces where you might otherwise use cheese. It is also delicious, sprinkled on salad, popcorn, vegetables, and more.

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Helpful tips

• When replacing cheese with nutritional yeast, start with a small amount and adjust according to your taste. Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy, nutty flavor without dairy.
• While traditional pesto uses basil, feel free to experiment with other greens like parsley (like I did), spinach, kale, or arugula for different flavor profiles.
• Pine nuts are a classic ingredient in pesto, but they can be pricey, so I used pistachios and walnuts. Other options include almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds.
• Use less oil and add more to achieve your desired consistency for a thicker pesto. This makes it adaptable for various dishes, from pasta sauces to sandwich spreads.
• Fresh ingredients are key for the best flavor. Fresh basil, fresh parsley, and quality extra virgin olive oil enhance the taste.
• Vegan pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy portioning, or put it in a glass jar in the freezer for up to two months.
• A splash of lemon juice not only adds a bright flavor but also helps maintain the vibrant green color of the pesto. Adjust the acidity to suit your palate.
• Start with a small amount of garlic and adjust according to your taste, as raw garlic can be quite potent. I am using garlic paste as it comes in a tube and is easy to dispense.
• If you’re using salted nuts, adjust the additional salt in the recipe accordingly to avoid an overly salty pesto.
• Feel free to add extras like sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or chili flakes for an added flavor dimension.

How to make vegan pesto sauce

Pre-step

Get a food processor and a rubber spatula.

Step one

Gather the ingredients: nutritional yeast, fresh basil leaves, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon, pistachios, walnuts, and salt.

Step two

Take the stems off both the basil and parsley and add them to the food processor container.

Step three

Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, pistachios, chopped walnuts, and olive oil.

Step four

I measure out the nutritional yeast.

Step five

I pour the yeast into the processor with the other ingredients.

Step six

Lock the cover on the processor and turn it on high for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and process the pesto sauce for an additional minute.

I transfer the pesto to a jar, make a salad, and plate some freshly made pasta.

I take a few teaspoons of the sauce, dollop it on the pasta, and mix it all together.

Christopher loves pesto pasta!

I hope you enjoyed this vegan pesto recipe.

Other ideas for using this sauce are spreading it on bread or salad dressing or eating it with a spoon.

Other sauce recipes

• Sour cream sauce
• Enchilada sauce
• Gravy
• Chimichurri
• Vodka pasta sauce

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Versatile Vegan Pesto Sauce

This versatile vegan pesto sauce has such a delicious flavor! The secret is the nutritional yeast.

4.67 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dressings

Cuisine: Sauce

Keyword: vegan pesto sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 tablespoons

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Elaine Benoit

Ingredients

So Easy

• 4 ounces fresh basil leaves (4 cups, stripped of the stems)
• 2 cups fresh parsley (packed, stripped off stalks)
• 1/2 cup pistachios (raw and unsalted)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (raw and unsalted)
• 1 ounce lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1   cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste (or 2 cloves of garlic)

Instructions

• Add the basil and parsley to the processor.
  4 ounces fresh basil leaves, 2 cups fresh parsley
• Add the rest of the ingredients and half the olive oil.
  1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoons garlic paste, 1   cup olive oil
• Slowly pour the rest of the olive oil into the processor shoot.
• Scrape down sides and continue to process for an additional minute or until all the ingredients are combined.
• Transfer to jar for storage.
• Or use it right away. Place a few tablespoons on some freshly made pasta and mix it together until the pasta is covered.
• Eat, smile, and enjoy.

Equipment

food processor

rubber spatula

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Notes

This pesto will be spoonable.  Depending on how I use it, I add olive oil to thin it out each time!

Helpful tips

• When replacing cheese with nutritional yeast, start with a small amount and adjust according to your taste. Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy, nutty flavor without dairy.
• While traditional pesto uses basil, feel free to experiment with other greens like parsley (like I did), spinach, kale, or arugula for different flavor profiles.
• Pine nuts are a classic ingredient in pesto, but they can be pricey, so I used pistachios and walnuts. Other options include almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds.
• Use less oil and add more to achieve your desired consistency for a thicker pesto. This makes it adaptable for various dishes, from pasta sauces to sandwich spreads.
• Fresh ingredients are key for the best flavor. Fresh basil, fresh parsley, and quality extra virgin olive oil enhance the taste.
• Vegan pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze it in ice cube trays for easy portioning, or put it in a glass jar in the freezer for up to two months.
• A splash of lemon juice not only adds a bright flavor but also helps maintain the vibrant green color of the pesto. Adjust the acidity to suit your palate.
• Start with a small amount of garlic and adjust according to your taste, as raw garlic can be quite potent. I am using garlic paste as it comes in a tube and is easy to dispense.
• If you’re using salted nuts, adjust the additional salt in the recipe accordingly to avoid an overly salty pesto.
• Feel free to add extras like sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or chili flakes for an added flavor dimension.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1023IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

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794 shares