Enjoy my top 5 vegan pesto recipes to add more flavors and variety to your diet. When I started eating more plant-based foods, I remember feeling so sad saying goodbye to cheese (the main food group that was giving my digestive system issues galore). It was even more devastating when I thought I had to say goodbye to pesto.
Yet after a bit of research, I learned that there is a whole world of vegan pesto recipes (and they are amazing!). Follow along and you’ll be able to make your own creations, or try some of mine.
What’s in pesto?
Pesto is a combination of oil, herbs, nuts and plant-based seasoning crushed into a paste that is flavor-packed. Traditional pesto contains some sorta of Parmesan style cheese. Yet in these vegan pesto recipes, we’ve left out the cheese and bumped up the flavors. Honestly, you won’t even miss the cheese.
Tools to make pesto
The words “pesto” in Italian means “to pound or crush”. Back before food processors and blenders reigned, if you wanted to make pesto, you had to grab a trusty mortar and pestle and put some elbow grease into it.
Of course nowadays, every kitchen counter seems to be home to all sorts of gadgets. (I still think there’s a place for a pestle in every kitchen!) This tutorial instructs the use of a food processor or blender. If using a blender, make sure to use the low speed or pulse setting so you don’t liquify your pesto.
Please know that you can also use a mortar and pestle. The mortar is the bowl and the pestle is the pounder.
How To Make Vegan Pesto
Pesto usually contains finely grated parmesan or Romano cheese. But pesto doesn’t really need cheese at all! That’s about the only change needed to make vegan pesto. Pick from the items below to make your own pesto recipe, or scroll down to check out 5 tried and true vegan pesto recipes.
Fresh herbs, leafy greens + vegetables: Basil, cilantro, parsley, kale, broccoli, mint
Plant-based Oil: Olive, avocado, macadamia, hazelnut, walnut oils all work. Wanna go oil free? Just use water.
Nuts: Pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pepitas, pistachio
Seasoning: Garlic, chives, green onions, lemon, lime, olives, salt, pepper, tamari, miso, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, jalapeños
5 Vegan Pesto Recipes Ideas
Now that you know all the components that go into making vegan pesto, you’ll find 5 recipes below that’ll rawk your world! Click on any of them to get to the recipe and enjoy the incredible fresh herbs and plant-based protein boost from a variety of nuts and seeds.
Lemon Arugula Pesto
The arugula’s fresh peppery flavor blends nicely with the brightness of lemon to create an addictively healthy pesto. Arugula is in the leafy green family and is packed with vitamin K and folates, among other numerous nutrients). Goes great on salad, spaghetti squash or even pasta.
Cilantro Vegan Pesto Recipe
This pesto is one of my favorites I’ve ever made. I love how good it is on chips. It’s insane! You can also serve it with pasta, tacos or toast… I’d encourage putting it on all three!
Pistachio Pesto
I’ve always had a love for pistachios and they bring a wonderful depth to this pesto recipe. You can serve it as a dip for veggies, toast, crackers, chips…. soup garnish, salad dressing and on pizza. Honestly, the list of what pesto can do is endless.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
The first time our food photographer and recipe creator, Lindsey mentioned creating a Sun-Dried Tomato pesto recipe for Simple Green Meals, I wasn’t very excited. Yet her excitement is contagious and I easily gave it. I’m so glad I did because this is my favorite pesto recipe to us on veggie bowls!!! It’s also amazing on pizza and in pasta— so don’t be scared because it looks so different. It’s absolutely worth making!
Basil Pesto
This classic pesto recipe has been upgraded with heart-healthy walnuts. Yummy! Once again, the options are endless with pesto and that’s why we love it around here so much!
What does Vegan Pesto go with?
Pretty much everything and anything works with vegan pesto. There’s truly no difference in how it’s used with traditional pesto, yet you’re avoiding dairy and most likely going to feel even better after eating it. Here’s my top 5 ways to use a vegan pesto recipe:
- Toss it on pasta: The flavors come alive and also you’re boosting the nutrients.
- Serve it as a dip: Works great with crackers, chips and veggies
- Add it to toast: I love a hearty piece of toast. Adding a dollop of pesto pretty much makes it a meal in my book.
- Swap it for pizza sauce: We take Friday night pizza night pretty seriously at our house. We order takeout a lot, but we also make it from scratch a lot too. We love all kinds of pizza… especially when pesto is the base.
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Pesto usually contains finely grated parmesan or Romano cheese. But pesto doesn’t really need cheese at all! That’s about the only change needed to make vegan pesto. Pick from the items below to make your own pesto recipe, or scroll down to check out 5 tried and true vegan pesto recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh herbs, leafy greens + vegetables: Basil, cilantro, parsley, kale, broccoli, mint
- 2 Tbs Plant-based Oil: Olive, avocado, macadamia, hazelnut, walnut oils all work. Wanna go oil free? Just use water.
- 1/2 cup nuts: Pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pepitas, pistachio
- 2 tsp seasoning: Garlic, chives, green onions, lemon, lime, olives, salt, pepper, tamari, miso, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, jalapeños
Instructions
- Pick one ingredients from each section above.
- Add to a food processor or blender and pulse.
- Pulse until combined and finely chopped (yet not liquified)
- If having trouble blending, add more oil or water to help blend.
- Store in air tight container in the fridge.
Keywords: vegan pesto recipes
Hope this guide was helpful and you try some of these pesto recipes! I appreciate any comments or questions you want to leave in the space below.
from
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-diet/5-vegan-pesto-recipes
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