Easy Dairy Free Pesto Recipe (5 minutes!)
This dairy free pesto comes together in just 5 minutes. Bursting with fresh basil and vibrant flavors, it’s a delightful vegan addition to your favorite pasta, pizzas, salad dressings and soups.
Equipment
- Food processor see notes below
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3-6 tablespoons water
Instructions
- To a food processor or small blender, add the basil, peeled garlic cloves, pine nuts, cashews, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Mix on high until a paste forms.
- Slowly stream in the olive oil, while the blender is running if possible, pausing to scrape down the sides every so often. Then add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have the desired consistency: a thick, pourable pesto sauce.
- Season to taste. Add extra nutritional yeast for a more cheesy flavor or lemon juice for acidity.
- Serve on pasta, pizzas, soups or in salad dressings or sandwiches.
Notes
Food processor: I love using the Kenwood Compact Food Processor* as it's the perfect size for the job and doesn't take up too much space in the kitchen cupboard!
Substitutions: try swapping the pine nuts for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, or even a mixture of both, for a different flavor.