vegan pesto

A vegan pesto recipe that is so simple to make with only 5 ingredients ( + salt/water ). Cashews are used in place of pine nuts and cheese for a budget friendly option. Oil free.

Simple Vegan Pesto

raw cashews

garlic

basil,

nutritional yeast

lemon juice

salt

water

pasta

To a food processor, add the cashews, garlic, basil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and 1/4 cup water. Process until smooth, adding more water as desired for a thinner consistency. 

If serving with pasta, cook the noodles according to package instructions, then toss with the pesto, adding more water as needed to thin the pesto.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Pesto also freezes well for up to 6 months. I freeze it in an ice cube tray, then pop the cubes out and stick them in a ziplock freezer bag or container.

The easiest vegan pesto in 5 minutes! Cheesy and flavorful despite being dairy-free, plus an option for lower oil/fat. It's the perfect plant-based spread for Italian dishes and more!

Easy Vegan Pesto (5 Minutes!)

basil ((large stems removed))

Tbsp pine nuts

garlic ((peeled))

yeast

tsp sea salt ((plus more to taste))

extra virgin olive oil*

3-6 Tbsp water ((plus more as needed))

Easy Vegan Pesto (5 minutes!)

To a food processor or small blender, add the basil, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt and blend/mix on high until a loose paste forms.

Add olive oil a little at a time (streaming in while the machine is on if possible) and scrape down sides as needed. Then add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water at a time until the desired consistency is reached - a thick but pourable sauce. (If avoiding oil altogether, sub the oil with vegetable broth or just use all water.)

Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for overall flavor, nuts for nuttiness, garlic for bite / zing, or lemon juice for acidity.

Perfect for adding to sauces, dressings, breads, and more! My favorite recently has been adding it straight to zucchini or carrot noodles (see photo) for a beautiful, healthy side dish.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week. After that, pour into ice cube molds, freeze, and store up to 1 month or more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dijEdNb1dgo

The easiest vegan pesto in 5 minutes! Cheesy and flavorful despite being dairy-free, plus an option for lower oil/fat. It's the perfect plant-based spread for Italian dishes and more!

Full Recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-pesto-5-minutes/

Pesto is a sauce that is believed to have originated in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy. It’s thought that it may have evolved from a 13th century garlic-based sauce called aggiadda or from the tradition of using aromatic herbs in the Middle Ages.

The first written recipe for pesto was from Giovanni Battista Ratto in his 19th century work The Genoese cuisine. This recipe was a mix of garlic, basil, and cheese. Our plant-based version skips the cheese, but is similarly packed with basil and full of flavor.
 
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Easy Vegan Pesto (5 minutes!) | Minimalist Baker Recipes

This Vegan Green Goddess Grilled Cheese is an epic stacked vegan grilled cheese with layers of vegan cheese, pesto, avocado, greens, pickled jalapeños, and sprouts.

Vegan Green Goddess Grilled Cheese

baby kale or baby spinach

vegan butter ((I used Earth Balance))

rustic hearty bread

Vegan Pesto

jalapeño

vegan cheese

avocado, (sliced thinly)

micro greens or broccoli sprouts

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegan butter (or olive oil) and sauté the baby kale or baby spinach with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until wilted. Set aside.

For one sandwich, place one slice of bread on a cutting board or plate. Top the bread with 2 slices of vegan cheese, followed by half of the avocado, half of the jalapeño slices, half of the sautéed kale, and half of the sprouts or micro greens.

Take another slice of bread and spread with 1-2 tablespoons of pesto. Place that slice on top of the sandwich fillings, with the pesto side facing down on top of the sandwich fillings.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Once it has melted, add the prepared sandwich.

Use a spatula to press down on the grilled cheese for 10 seconds, and then cover the skillet with a lid to help melt the cheese. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom of the sandwich has a golden crust. Add additional vegan butter to the pan if necessary to help the second side obtain a golden crust. Flip the sandwich and press down on the sandwich again and repeat the process.

Once the second side of the sandwich is golden, transfer sandwich to a cutting board and slice in half or quarters. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and two slices of bread for a second grilled cheese.

This chilled pasta dish is perfect for cookouts and potlucks! Bite-sized pasta, tomatoes, peas, and a delicious homemade vegan pesto make this tasty dish a must try!

Quick + Easy Pesto Pasta Salad

red grape tomatoes (quartered)

golden grape tomatoes (quartered)

peas (fresh

basil leaves (packed)

fresh parsley (packed (can substitute with 1/2 cup basil or baby spinach))

walnuts (can substitute with pine nuts)

nutritional yeast (can substitute with parmesan or romano cheese

olive oil (can substitute

salt and pepper (to taste)

food processor

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and reduce heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente.

Drain pasta and rinse with cool water. Place in large mixing bowl.

Add quartered grape tomatoes and peas

Add basil, parsley, and walnuts to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely&nbsp;chopped (about 8 times)

Add nutritional yeast and garlic cloves. Blend on low.

With the food processor running, slowly pour olive oil to emulsify until well blended. Stop the food processor and season with salt and pepper.

Using a rubber spatula, pour pesto into mixing bowl with pasta and veggies. Mix well.

Serve chilled. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.

To Make Pesto:

A vegan pesto pasta with a delicious twist you've never seen before. Eat it warm or cold and throw in your favorite veggies, it's a perfect well rounded meal!

Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad with Veggies

spinach

veggie broth (, low sodium if needed)

basil

almonds

red pepper

sea salt

black pepper

coconut oil garlic

pasta (, I use the NOW Foods brand)

chickpeas beans

Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix in the coconut oil here if you don’t want to add it to the pesto.&nbsp;

Place the spinach, broth, basil, garlic, almonds, lemon, crushed red pepper, salt, and ground black pepper into a food processor. Blend until chopped well but nut pureed. You can also mix the coconut oil in here instead of with the pasta later.

Chop veggies of choice into bite sized pieces.&nbsp;

Mix the oil with the pasta, then fold in the pesto followed by the vegetables.&nbsp;Serve warm or cold!

This gluten-free, vegan pesto recipe is just as good as traditional pesto, even without the cheese! It&#x27;s delicious on pasta, pizza, crusty bread, and more. See the post above for additional serving suggestions.

pine nuts

garlic clove

basil leaves

extra-virgin olive oil (more

capers, tomatoes

In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until well chopped.

Add the basil and pulse until combined.

With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined.

For extra cheesy flavor, add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast. For brinier flavor, add 2 teaspoons capers. For more umami, add 2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Briefly pulse to combine. Taste and adjust, adding more nutritional yeast, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes, as desired. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

Versatile, velvety-smooth vegan white bean pesto, made in minutes with 5 ingredients. It is high protein & can be enjoyed as a sauce, dip or spread!

Vegan White Bean Pesto {High Protein, Nut-Free}

cannellini beans

nondairy milk (I used hemp milk)

extra virgin olive oil

garlic,

fine sea salt & pepper

In a food processor or high-speed blender, process...

In a food processor or high-speed blender, process the drained beans, basil, milk, nutritional yeast, olive oil and garlic until blended and completely smooth, stopping the machine several times to scrape down the sides.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pesto to an airtight container. Use...

Transfer the pesto to an airtight container. Use as a dip, spread, a drizzle/sauce for vegetables, or toss with hot pasta.

A gloriously green pesto made with peas and cashew nuts. A quick and tasty pasta sauce.

Pea Pesto

225 g (8 oz) frozen peas

garlic, crushed

vegan parmesan, grated (optional, you can add more nuts)

cashew nuts

vegan cream cheese

olive oil

salt & black pepper

This puff pastry Christmas tree appetizer is simple to make with just a handful of ingredients, multiple sweet and savory filling options, 10 minutes of prep time, and everyone will want the recipe! Perfect as either a Christmas appetizer, for brunch, or for New Year’s Eve parties!

Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Appetizer (Multiple Filling Options)

17.3 oz puff pastry (2 sheets; use vegan/gluten-free if preferred)

2.6 oz green pesto (homemade

1.6 oz mozzarella (or another melty cheese like cheddar)

4.2 oz cherry tomatoes (at least 15-16 tomatoes)

0.5 oz butter (melted OR vegan butter/coconut oil)

few basil leaves (optional, for decoration)

If you are using homemade pesto, you’ll first need to prepare this (I use this traditional basil pesto or this pistachio pesto for vegan). It takes just a couple of minutes to make with a blender.

Gently lay out the two sheets of puff pastry and roll them gently into 11x13-inch rectangles (28x33 cm).

Cut out the Christmas tree shape from the first sheet of pastry. You want to make a large triangle (with the point starting at the center of the top of the pastry sheet) with a small 2-inch long rectangle (5 cm) in the center at the bottom (the tree stump). Slice it from the top to the bottom of the pastry sheet lengthwise.You can use a clean ruler to help you do this evenly, rather than free-hand. Alternatively, draw and cut out the tree template on some parchment paper and use this to cut around.

Lay the first Christmas tree over the second sheet of pastry as a guideline. You can optionally cut out a star-shaped Christmas tree &quot;topper&quot; from the pastry scraps too.There’s no need to waste any of these odd-shaped scraps, either. You can fill them too and make them into individual pastries to nibble on.

Step 1: Cut the Puff Pastry

Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC (fan assisted).

Make sure you have all the elements ready in front of you (cut-out pastry, pesto, freshly shredded cheese, cherry tomatoes, and melted butter).

Over one of the Christmas tree puff pastry sheets, gently spread a layer of pesto, and then top with the shredded cheese. Leave around ½-inch border with no filling (around 1 cm).

Lay the second sheet of pastry over the first. Gently press the edges to help them seal a bit. 

Now it’s time to twist the Christmas tree branches:Using either a knife or pizza wheel, cut every 1½-2 inches (4-5 cm) apart down both sides of the tree (leaving the top 2 inches/5 cm of the tree). Leave 2-3 inches/5-8 cm of space in the middle, leaving less as you slice closer to the top of the tree (refer to the images).Once again, use a ruler to help you make even and straight slices in the dough.

Twist each branch upwards once (the bottom 2-3 branches may twist twice).

Once twisted, brush the puff pastry Christmas tree with the melted butter and place a whole cherry tomato on each tree branch.You can also place a star (stuffed with pesto) on top of the tree before baking. Make little parcels with the rest of the dough and fill them with pesto as well. 

Step 2: Fill and Shape the Christmas Tree

Transfer the puff pastry Christmas tree to a baking sheet (keep it on the parchment paper it comes with) and bake for between 15-18 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Then remove from the oven, place the &quot;star&quot; at the top of the tree (if you made one), allow to cool for several minutes, then enjoy! You can brush with some extra pesto if wanted.

Step 3: Bake the pesto puff pastry Christmas tree

Make ahead: you can assemble the unbaked puff pastry Christmas tree and store it covered in the refrigerator for several hours before baking (or overnight when using a filling that isn&#39;t very oily). Alternatively, prepare the entire pastry and reheat it before serving.Store: once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for between 3-4 days.Freeze: you can also freeze the pesto puff pastry for up to three months. Leave it to defrost in the fridge overnight.Reheat: you can enjoy the puff pastry appetizer chilled or at room temperature. However, to reheat the tomato pesto tart, you can either use the microwave (will be soft) or gently crisp it up again in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.

How to Make Ahead and Store?

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/JE0q8LPd.mp4

This puff pastry Christmas tree appetizer is simple to make with multiple sweet and savory filling options. Perfect as either a Christmas appetizer, for brunch, or for New Year’s Eve parties!

Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Appetizer

This pesto pasta recipe is bright, herby and comforting. Made with my simple homemade vegan pesto recipe, drizzled over pasta noodles. It&#039;s a quick and easy dinner to please all types of eaters.

Pesto Pasta

basil (tightly packed)

tsp sea salt

350 g pasta noodles (of choice (12 oz))

In a food processor with the S-shape blade, add the basil, pine nuts and garlic. Pulse a few times to chop. Then add the lemon juice nutritional yeast and sea salt, pulse again to roughly combine. Turn food processor to a low speed and drizzle in the olive oil. Continue blending together until the mixture is combined, but there is still some texture. Place to the side.

Heat a large pot of boiling water and add the pasta noodles and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook until al-dente (about 7 mins). Strain and add the noodles back to the pot. Pour in the pesto and toss to combine. Transfer to bowls and serve.

Spicy, citrusy, mustard greens-pepita pesto, the perfect midwinter sauce for pasta, or as a spread or dip. The ingredients also make it an ideal exercise recovery food!

Mustard Greens Pepita Pesto {Vegan, Nut-Free}

lemon

mustard

pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

fine sea salt (more

Grate 2 teaspoons lemon zest from the lemon....

Grate 2 teaspoons lemon zest from the lemon. Cut in half and squeeze out 1-1/2 tablespoons juice.

In a large food processor, process the mustard...

In a large food processor, process the mustard greens, pepitas and garlic, using on/off pulses, until finely chopped. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

With the motor running, slowly pour in the...

With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, stopping to scrape the sides of bowl once or twice.

Serve with pasta, as a spread, or as...

Serve with pasta, as a spread, or as a dip.

A nice alternative to basil, parsley pesto is just as bright tasting. With walnuts instead of pine nuts, it&#039;s a great way to celebrate fresh parsley.

Parsley Pesto

flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped (tightly packed)

walnuts

Sea salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

extra virgin olive oil (as needed)

Add the parsley, garlic, nuts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until very finely chopped.

Add the olive oil in a slow stream while mixing. Once all of the oil is added, the pesto should be smooth and look creamy. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 3-4 days. Parsley pesto freezes well.

This versatile pasta dish can be served warm or cold and you can vary the vegetables to suit what's in your refrigerator.

Pesto Primavera Pasta and Other Fresh Basil Recipes

whole wheat rotini

broccoli (,

zucchini

basil (, packed)

lite silken tofu

salt ((or

chickpeas ((or one 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained))

tomato (, diced)

salt & pepper (,

almonds (,

Bring a very large pot of water to boil, add salt if desired and the pasta. Return to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for another minute or until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and drain in a colander over the sink. Spray with cold water and transfer to a large serving bowl.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Grind the almonds, garlic, and nutritional yeast in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the basil, lemon juice, and silken tofu and process until smooth. Add salt to taste and process to combine.

Gently stir the sauce into the pasta and vegetables. Add the chickpeas, diced tomato and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chilled, garnished with additional almonds.

The Pesto Primavera Pasta recipe didn’t do it for me BUT I think I’ll try just the Pesto in a few other dishes.  Thank you for sharing it and for subbing the silken tofu for the usual olive oil!  Didn’t miss that oil at all!

Thank you, Susan, for this pesto recipe! I am new to growing basil which I have an abundance of these days. I wasn't using it fast enough, so have been looking for an oil free vegan pesto recipe. I saw various recipes that each used different nuts. Since I had walnuts on hand, I substituted those for the almonds. Otherwise, I followed your pesto portion of this recipe. Wow, it is delicious! I'm so glad to have such an easy, healthy, and delicious way to use my beautiful basil crop! 

I was wondering how you would feel about putting this pesto recipe under the sauce/spreads category of your site as well. There are so many ways to use it. Before making it, I was not sure how it would taste with silken tofu and no oil. But I have never made a recipe of yours that I didn't like, so I am very glad that I trusted your expertise and went for it. It really surpassed my expectations in flavor! Great taste and consistency! (:
 
Thanks again, Susan! I really appreciate all of the work that you put into your recipes and your site. I don't know how I would be enjoying so many vegan meals without your support!

Susan, the pesto in this Pesto Primavera Pasta is absolutely fantastic! We loved the recipe so much I planned to make the pesto sauce with my 50+ basil plants and freeze for use throughout the upcoming year. I made a test batch and tried freezing it in a small container (I usually use ice cube trays for pesto) and it thawed perfectly - we made luscious veggie pizzas with it last night. Today I nearly panicked when I could not access my Recipe Box (don't know why it won't give me the drop down list today) so I went through all of your pasta recipes and am very, very excited to have found it once again! Thank you ever so much for sharing your talents with us all. You're the best!

This was delicious! Even the 9 year old and 13 month old devoured it. Thank you!

Just made the Pesto Primavera tonight. Let me tell you it was AWESOME!!! This was a very easy and delicious recipe. It's a new favorite for my family. It's so refreshing to have a recipe that is simple to do but yet so palatable. I love using fresh ingredients in my recipes. Thank you for this one!

just made the zucchini basil soup again tonight...it is one of my favorites for summer.

This is one of those dishes that improve overnight as the sauce has time to develop its flavor.

Asparagus Pesto Pasta Salad

asparagus

pine nuts ((lightly toasted))

whole wheat or gluten-free spiral pasta

Top 18 vegan pesto recipes from across the web

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The most viewed vegan pesto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine