Easy Plant-Based Pesto Sauce

There are many varieties of pesto that you can make and this vegan pesto sauce is a healthy, fresh and tasty alternative to heavy oil and dairy cheese laden versions. Added to its appeal is that it’s quick, easy and affordable.

Whole Food Vegan Ingredients

This pesto recipe combines fresh green spinach and basil, garlic, lemon, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and nutritional yeast in lieu of dairy cheese.

Toppings in this plant-based recipe add extra flavor pizzaz but are optional. They include pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms.

Keep this recipe simple or garnish with your own selection of favorite toppings too!

Versatile Plant-Based Pesto Recipe

Try this pesto sauce in our delicious vegan kelp noodle recipe, add to your choice of pasta or use as a veggie dip. Versatility is one of its star qualities, along with flavor and whole food nutrition.

Homemade Vegan Pesto Tips

Here are some tips for your pesto sauce:

• Mortar and Pestle: Don’t have a small food processor or blender? Use a large mortar and pestle instead. Traditionally, that’s what is used and some cooks/chefs contend it produces a better texture.
• Oil-Free: Prefer no added oils? Skip the EVOO and sun-dried tomato topping (usually packed in EVOO) and use water and chopped fresh or sautéed tomatoes instead. However, keep in mind, your sauce may be more prone to oxidation.
• Prevent Oxidation: Typically, your pesto sauce is optimal right after you make it. When you prepare pesto, blanching your greens, using lemon juice (which is an ingredient in this recipe) and/or adding a thin layer of oil on top of your pesto sauce when refrigerating leftovers have been known to help prevent oxidation and keep your pesto sauce greener and fresher for a longer period of time.

Whether you take the extra steps of blanching, using a mortar and pestle, garnishing with toppings or not, this pesto recipe is so easy to make!

Simple Spinach Basil Vegan Pesto Sauce

 

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Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cook or Chill Time

10 Minutes

Total Time

20 Minutes

 

This plant-based pesto sauce is a healthy, fresh and tasty alternative to heavy oil and dairy cheese laden pestos.

Author: True Forage

Recipe Type: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian, Vegan

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 cup spinach leaves (de-stemmed)
• 1 cup basil leaves (de-stemmed)
• ½ clove garlic peeled
• ¼ cup pine nuts (unsalted)
• 2 - 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ - 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 - 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• ¼ - ½ tsp Celtic or other sea salt (optional)
• Dash ground pepper

Toppings (Optional)

• 1-2 Tbsp pine nuts (whole or chopped)
• 4 pieces sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 Tbsp chopped)
• 2 - 4 shiitake mushrooms sliced, seasoned and sautéed

Instructions

1. Blanch greens (optional). This added step of blanching could help prevent oxidation and keep your pesto sauce looking greener, fresher for longer period of time.
2. In a small food processor or blender, add spinach, basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and EVOO.
3. Grind all ingredients in food processor/blender until you've reached desired consistency for your pesto sauce. The "mode" may vary depending on your food processor/blender.
4. Add toppings (optional). Top pesto sauce with whole or chopped pine nuts, sliced or chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and/or sliced and sautéed shiitake mushrooms.
5. Add pesto sauce to this delicious vegan kelp noodle recipe, pasta or use as a dip and enjoy!

Notes

Refrigerate any leftover pesto sauce. It should stay fresh for about 2-3 days in an airtight lidded container. Adding a thin layer of EVOO on top of the pesto sauce could also help prevent oxidation and keep your pesto greener and fresher for a longer period of time.

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Enjoy!