There’s something so cheerful about a bright green, lemony pesto sauce. This Vegan Oil-Free, Nut-Free Pesto can be added to pasta, rice, salad dressings…so many delicious options!
Many, if not all of us, have come from eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) and worked towards a way of eating that omits some of the unhealthy ingredients from that type of diet. The SAD pesto included parmesan cheese and olive oil…two things that give it the texture and flavor that we loved.
I’ve had some very good vegan versions, but they still used oil and commercially made vegan parmesan, which contain lots of oils and other processed ingredients which I no longer eat. This led me to start experimenting and I have finally made a super tasty, oil-free pesto. This one is actually nut-free to accomodate my little granddaughter, who has an allergy to some nuts.
It’s simple to make and freezes well, so once you’ve made it and know you like it…make a double batch and freeze some so you’ll have it handy all the time.
Try it on the obvious pasta, but also try it on toasted bread, stir into soups and use it as a salad dressing base.
Scroll down for the recipe box or read on for directions with pictures.
Gather your ingredients.
The olive spread and salt are optional.
I’m a big garlic fan, so I add quite a lot. My nutritional yeast is unfortified. I use Meyer’s lemons from my tree and they are a bit less acidic and slightly sweeter than a standard lemon, so I use a bit more than you might with the regular lemon. The salt and the Green Olive Spread are optional. I highly recommend the olive spread. If I use it, I definitely omit the salt.
Put the sunflower seed in the food processor and pulse a few times to get them broken up a bit. I like them to be about the size of a grain of rice.
Add in the basil and top with the minced garlic, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. Pulse a few times and stop to scrape everything down from the sides and into the blade area. You might have to do this a couple of times. Blend it for a few seconds until you have everything mixed and to the consistency you like.
That’s the consistency of my garlic. I use a garlic press.
Add olive spread and salt, if using. Blend for a few seconds to mix everything and you’re done. Scrape it into a jar to store or a bowl to serve.
Add to your favorite pasta and throw in some veggies!
You’re welcome.
- 4 cups basil leaves packed
- 2/3 cup sunflower seeds raw
- 3-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 + cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 6 teaspoons olive spread or chopped green olives optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
- 1 tablespoon water or broth
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Add sunflower seeds to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you've broken them up a bit. I like them to be about the size of a grain of rice.
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Add basil and top with garlic, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. Pulse and stop to scrape down the sides into the blade area. Pulse several times until you get the consistency that you like. You can add a little water or broth if you think it's too dry.
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Add olive spread (or olives) and salt, if using. Blend for a few seconds to get everything mixed.
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Scrape into a jar to store or into a bowl to use in your favorite pasta dish.
Doea the nutritional yeast “stand in” for the cheese or can it be omitted?
It does stand in for the parmesan cheese. I think leaving it out would also affect the texture a bit. It might be a bit soupy? I’m all about experimenting though, so I say give it a try! Let me know how it turns out.
Perfect timing for this recipe! My basil is just ready for picking and there is so much! I don’t mind some fat but am WFPB and avoid oils. Thanks!
I’m envious of your basil! I just can’t keep it going in my garden. I need to learn to prune it so it doesn’t go to flower so quickly. I’ve used cashews, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds in this recipe with great results with all. I hope you like it!