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    Home Ā» Sides Ā» The Best Vegan Pesto (Ready in 10 Minutes)

    The Best Vegan Pesto (Ready in 10 Minutes)

    Published: Oct 18, 2018 Modified: Aug 14, 2019 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    7.4Kshares
    Vegan Pesto

    Cheesy, garlicky and deliciously flavorful vegan pesto. Perfect to serve with pasta, on pizza or spread on some crusty bread. Super easy and versatile.

    Vegan pesto in a glass jar with a spoon.

    If there’s one thing it’s important to have in your vegan recipe repertoire it’s a good vegan pesto.

    It’s super easy to throw together without notice and you can serve it with pasta for a 10-minute meal that will literally wow absolutely everyone.

    It’s gourmet as heck while being ridiculously simple!

    Ingredients for a vegan pesto in a food processor ready to process. Freshly made vegan pesto in a food processor.

    How to make vegan pesto

    We used a mix of fresh basil and parsley in this pesto as the parsley provides a lovely balance to the flavor.

    And then we used a mix of pine nuts and walnuts for the same reason – the walnuts provide some balance to the stronger flavor of the pine nuts.

    So the overall recipe has a lovely flavor balance between strong flavors and mild so that no particular flavor is overpowering.

    Vegan pesto in a glass jar with a spoon.

    We also added 1/4 cup water along with 1/4 cup olive oil. The water was to create the perfect texture to the pesto without adding any more oil.

    And this works perfectly here because the end result isn’t too heavy or oily as pestos can sometimes be.

    The cheesy flavor comes from some nutritional yeast and we have lemon juice and crushed garlic and of course some sea salt and black pepper to round off the flavors beautifully. 

    While this pesto is awesome with some pasta it’s not the only place for it! It’s also divine spread on some crusty bread or on top of a delicious vegan pizza!

    You can also have it along with your salad as a salad dressing or on top of your veggies.

    Vegan pesto in a glass jar with a spoon.

    Vegan Pesto Sauce Q&A

    How long does vegan pesto last? It lasts at least 5 days (and up to a week) in the fridge. 

    Can you freeze it? Yes, it’s freezer friendly for up to 6 months!

    What to do with vegan pesto? Serve it with pasta! That’s the most common way. Or you can serve it with bread, on pizza or even as a salad dressing. 

    What’s the difference between vegan pesto and regular pesto? Regular pesto is usually made with dairy parmesan and pecorino cheeses. Vegan pesto of course doesn’t use dairy cheese so instead creates the cheesy flavors with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, crushed garlic and other spices. 

    Vegan pesto in a glass jar with a spoon.

    You will love this vegan pesto recipe! It is:

    • Cheesy
    • Garlicky
    • Highly flavorful
    • Versatile
    • Super easy

    Store leftovers in the fridge where it will stay fresh for 5-7 days.

    Vegan pesto with pasta on a white plate.

    If you love pesto then also check out our vegan pesto pasta with pan roasted cherry tomatoes.

    Try this pesto on a delicious vegan pasta salad or spread it on some homemade vegan dinner rolls or homemade whole wheat bread. 

    So what do you think of this recipe? Let us know in the comments and please rate the recipe too! Thanks!

    Sign up to our email list before you go! You’ll get an awesome recipe ebook containing 10 delicious vegan dinner recipes and you’ll be the first to know when new recipes are posted to the blog.

    Vegan pesto mixed with spaghetti on a fork.

     

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    Vegan pesto

    Vegan Pesto


    ★★★★★

    5 from 23 reviews

    • Author: Alison Andrews
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 6
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Cheesy, garlicky and deliciously flavorful vegan pesto. Perfect to serve with pasta, on pizza or spread on some crusty bread. Super easy and versatile.


    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup (68g) Pine Nuts
    • 1/2 cup (50g) Walnuts
    • 1/4 cup (60ml) Olive Oil
    • 1 tsp Crushed Garlic
    • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
    • 1/3 cup (20g) Nutritional Yeast
    • 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves (Packed)
    • 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley (Packed)
    • 1/4 cup (60ml) Water
    • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

    Instructions

    1. Add all the ingredients to the food processor and process until well combined.
    2. Serve with pasta or on top of pizza or spread on delicious crusty bread. Also makes a great topping for salads or vegetables.
    • Category: Sauce, Gluten-Free, Sides
    • Cuisine: Vegan

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 Serve (of 6)
    • Calories: 223
    • Sugar: 0.8g
    • Sodium: 201mg
    • Fat: 22.2g
    • Saturated Fat: 2.3g
    • Carbohydrates: 4.2g
    • Fiber: 1.6g
    • Protein: 4g

    Keywords: vegan pesto

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #lovingitvegan

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    7.4Kshares
    Alison Andrews

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.
    Previous Post: « Vegan Coconut Cookies
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. AvatarAlison says

      March 25, 2021 at 1:43 am

      Just made this – very delicious! Thank you.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. AvatarRebekah says

      January 12, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      Absolutely delicious!! I had to change a few things as I was missing a couple ingredients but turned out so good, I could literally eat it by the spoonful lol!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        January 13, 2021 at 9:20 am

        Hahaha, same! Thanks for the great review Rebekah!

        Reply
    3. AvatarJenny says

      December 07, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Simple and super tasty!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        December 07, 2020 at 11:46 am

        Thanks Jenny!

        Reply
    4. AvatarPatricia s Pryor says

      August 27, 2020 at 5:05 am

      Best pesto I’ve ever made. Thank you for this gift.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        August 27, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        Awesome Patricia! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    5. AvatarMichelle Gobeil says

      June 25, 2020 at 2:04 am

      Oh man, fantastic!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. AvatarIsabelle says

      May 13, 2020 at 8:31 am

      Thank you Alison for such excellent recipe, once again…. doing it since you published it but didn’t take the time to quote it! My ā€œalmost-but-not-yet-totally-veganā€ teens and husband don’t want the non-vegan traditional pesto anymore. Yours has been elected the best of all! Thumbs up for your recipes!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        May 13, 2020 at 9:54 am

        That is so wonderful Isabelle, thanks so much for posting! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    7. AvatarHazel says

      April 02, 2020 at 6:35 am

      Delicious,I made it with just basil, as I didn’t have parsley. I used 1/2 the olive oil, and used cashews as I didn’t have pine nuts and still it turned out fantastic, thanks Alison

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        April 02, 2020 at 11:44 am

        So happy to hear that! Thanks Hazel!

        Reply
    8. Avatarcheryl says

      April 01, 2020 at 6:14 pm

      AMAZING!!!!!!! This is the BEST PESTO I have ever made and will be the only one I make in the future. I served it in on a toasted sundried jalapeno sourdough with fresh tomatoes and lettuce- truly mouthwatering!!! Cant wait to try eat on so many other dishes

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        April 02, 2020 at 11:57 am

        Awesome! Thanks so much Cheryl!

        Reply
    9. AvatarAmanda says

      March 02, 2020 at 3:14 am

      This is the absolute best pesto I have ever had! I can’t say enough about it. It’s very easy to make and it’s crazy delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe, this one is definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen from now on!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        March 03, 2020 at 1:38 pm

        So happy to hear that Amanda! Thanks for the amazing review. šŸ™‚

        Reply
    10. AvatarAnna says

      February 25, 2020 at 3:39 am

      I’ve made this twice now, both times have been a huge success. I had to use cashews instead because that is all I had but it still works perfectly- the ratios specified are perfect. I can’t rate this highly enough! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        February 25, 2020 at 11:51 am

        So happy to hear that Anna! Thanks for the amazing review! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    11. AvatarAnne Heining says

      February 06, 2020 at 8:19 pm

      I made this tonight and it turned out sooooo delicious. Didn’t have walnuts so used cashews instead and it was perfect! Will be making again šŸ™‚

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        February 07, 2020 at 8:58 am

        Awesome! So glad it was a success. Thanks Anne! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    12. AvatarRachelle Rose says

      January 12, 2020 at 4:40 am

      I hereby name this ā€˜Perfect Pesto’ because it’s a perfect combination of flavours šŸ˜
      Thank you šŸ™šŸ¼

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        January 14, 2020 at 9:47 am

        Yay! Thanks Rachelle! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    13. AvatarJulie says

      January 03, 2020 at 12:55 pm

      Hi Alison, I would have to agree this is the best pesto I have tasted. I made mine the old fashioned way in a mortar & pestle and it turned out great. We had it with GF Penne pasta, roast capsicum and pumpkin it was wonderful. Thanks for another great recipe, you really are making it easy to go Vegan,

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        January 04, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        Thanks so much Julie! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    14. Avatartanja says

      December 01, 2019 at 12:52 pm

      I’ve made this so many times, it really is the best pesto!

      Reply
      • Alison AndrewsAlison Andrews says

        December 01, 2019 at 1:50 pm

        Thanks so much Tanja! šŸ™‚

        Reply
    15. AvatarJulianna Duplessis says

      September 11, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      Very creamy, cheeses and keeps well. Amazing flavour! Love it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
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    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

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