This recipe for vegan pesto is made with basil, parsley, garlic, and pine nuts almost exactly as the classic version. Why is it vegan? Because it does not have Parmesan cheese or any other animal product.
How to make vegan pesto?
Vegan pesto is the easiest to make, like all other pestos. It is a matter of chopping or grinding fresh herbs and garlic with a type of nut and then gradually adding olive oil.
The name pesto refers to the method of making this Genoese sauce and not the actual recipe. In Italy, pesto is made with a mortar and pestle. The name pesto comes from the verb pestare, which means to crush or pound the ingredients with the pestle.
At home, I make my magic green sauce in the food processor (affiliate link) or my blender (Vitamix (affiliate link)).
As always, the most important thing for me is to have healthy food, tons of vegetables, and clean vegan proteins at home. As I have said before, I love to do a bit of meal planning. Having a cooked grain, a cooked legume, and a type of sauce in the refrigerator is always a good idea for days that I don’t know what to cook for dinner. These ingredients help me put together a good meal in seconds.
How to use pesto?
- There are many good recipes for pesto; you can make it with kale and almonds, or with mint, with cilantro. And all of them can be used in many more ways than just pasta.
- The classic pesto recipe is with basil and parsley, garlic, and pine nuts and served with pasta. But don’t just think about traditional wheat flour or semolina pasta, look for kinds of pasta that have higher nutritional content like quinoa or chickpea pasta.
- You can also make zucchini pasta (zucchini noodles) or use spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is so easy to prepare: cut it in half, drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt, and pepper. Put it in the oven until completely soft. Use a fork to shred the squash.
- Add pesto to a vegetable sandwich, on one side spread Dijon mustard, and on the other classic vegan pesto and you have a delicious sandwich.
- You can use it as a base, instead of red sauce, on a pizza or on a socca. Then finish with mushrooms, onions, olives, or whatever you like to eat the pizza with.
- You can make a minestrone vegetable soup and finish it with a teaspoon of pesto.
- You can use it as a dressing in a green or potato salad with green beans.
- You can mix it with cashew cream or mayonnaise and make a dip for roasted vegetables or to top pancakes or hamburgers.
The possibilities for using pesto are so many that it is always a good idea to have a jar of it in the fridge. So here is the recipe for this vegan pesto and if you like it as much as I do, please let me know in the comment section. Or share a picture on how you use pesto on Instagram, Fb, or save this recipe for later on Pinterest.
VEGAN CLASSIC PESTO
Ingredients
- 3 cups basil
- 1 cup of parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in the blender or container of the food processor and mix until everything is well integrated. Test and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Store in a jar with a lid on the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
What you need:
Buy Now →