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Vegan Dairy Free Pesto Recipe

Vibrant, gorgeous, easy vegan pesto that will blow your taste buds away.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Vegan
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 397kcal

Equipment

  • Blender or food processor

Ingredients

  • 60 g basil
  • 5 cloves garlic can be substituted for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 50 g cashews equals about ½ cup of cashews
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 5 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 50 ml olive oil I used light mild olive oil. Equals 3 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch pepper

Instructions

  • 1. ROAST YOUR CASHEWS AND GARLIC (OPTIONAL). Place garlic and cashews on a baking paper (no need to use any oil) and bake at 180°C/356°F. for 8 minutes.
  • 2. WASH AND DRAIN YOUR BASIL. Running your basil under some cold water and giving it a very gentle rub will help release its delicious flavour and fragrance. Once you’ve done that, make sure to let it dry completely (or gently tap it dry with a clean tea towel). 
  • 3. ADD EVERYTHING TO A FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER. Add your olive oil, lemon juice, roasted garlic + cashews, washed & dried basil, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to your food processor/blender. Make sure to always add the liquids (olive oil and lemon juice) first! 
  • 4. BLEND, ADJUST AND ENJOY! All you need to do now is blend until smooth-ish. I prefer my pesto to have some bite to it, so I don’t recommend blending it until perfectly smooth, but this is just a personal preference. If you like it smooth, go for it! ? Don’t forget to taste test it and add more seasoning if required – salt is something that’s totally down to your personal preference, so make sure to adjust it to your own taste. 

Notes

  • If you don't have a super powerful blender or food processor, skip adding the cashews. Blend all your other ingredients first and once you've got a smooth paste, add your cashews.
  • Any leftover pesto can be stored in an airtight container in a fridge for approx. 5-6 days.
  • Always adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 396mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1451IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg