Vegan Walnut Basil Pesto (Easy Oil-Free Recipe)

This quick and easy vegan walnut pesto is loaded with flavor and can brighten up so many meals such as pasta, sandwiches, pizza and salads. Made within 5 minutes and packed with wholesome ingredients. Also, dairy-free, oil-free and naturally gluten-free.

This easy walnut pesto is a must-know recipe and one of my favorite staples in the kitchen.

It is thick, creamy and with rich herbed and cheesy flavors, plus it is done and ready to use within 5 minutes. It can completely turn a bland meal into a spectacular vibrant dish without much effort. Generously dollop over pizza, pasta, salads, flatbread, bread, soups and so much more to boost flavor.

And if you haven't made your own pesto sauce yet, then this recipe will show you how much you missed out, it is SO easy! All you have to do is to process all the ingredients using a food processor.

I also love the fact that it is made dairy-free and without any oil, but also naturally gluten-free and soy-free, which will fit with many diets.

Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️

Dairy-free and oil-free homemade pesto sauce

A classic pesto sauce is loaded with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan cheese. Making a vegan version of a pesto might seem like you are going to miss out on flavor and texture, but I promise you won't! 

The blend of garlic, nutty flavor from the walnuts, lemon juice and basil makes the predominant flavor and using nutritional yeast really adds that cheesy touch that balances out everything. The flavors are so close to a traditional pesto no one will know it's vegan, plus it is made healthier and without using parmesan cheese at all.

And although a good quality olive oil makes classic pesto sauces so rich, I like to swap the oil for cold water. It works so well! The water helps the flavorful ingredients come together to a super creamy consistency and you can then enjoy a pesto sauce that's lighter without any added fats.

Ingredients you'll need

• Walnuts: look for raw walnuts. You can use a package of halved walnuts to save some money. Walnuts are packed with healthy fatty acids and make the pesto rich and creamy even if made oil-free.
• Fresh basil leaves: the star of the recipe! Bright green and very fresh basil will give you amazing flavor and make for a very delicious pesto.
• Fresh garlic: use as much as you want for a more or less garlicky vegan pesto recipe. I usually start with 1 clove and sometimes add more.
• Nutritional yeast: responsible for the cheesy and deeper taste.
• Lemon: to add a zesty taste and brighten up the pesto. 
• Salt

Why use walnuts to make pesto

Classic pesto sauces usually include pine nuts as a base. These are healthy tiny nuts, so why using walnuts instead?

Well, you will save so much money! Pine nuts are expensive and walnuts, although not that cheap either, are much more budget-friendly and frankly, will provide the same creamy texture compared to pine nuts.

This is because, among other important nutrients, walnuts are so rich in healthy fats (hello omega-3). After crushed and processed, the oil from the walnuts will combine with the other ingredients to create a pesto that's smooth and almost whipped, even without adding processed oils.

Plus, walnuts will add an extra nutty and sweet flavor to the pesto that's very pleasant!

How to make it

Combine

In a food processor, combine the walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, salt and basil. 

Process

Process until mostly smooth. It should be a thick and dry-ish paste at this point. Use a spatula to bring back all the ingredients at the bottom of the container and close it back. Then, add the water in a stream into the feed tube while processing. I usually use ⅓ cup and this gives me a fairly thick pesto.

Taste and adjust

Once done, adjust the flavor and texture. This is important because depending on the quality of the produce and your taste, you might want to add more lemon, garlic, salt or nutritional yeast. Also, adjust its texture by pouring more water if needed to thin out the consistency.

Tips

• Don't forget that this is a no-cheese recipe and cheese usually brings lots of saltiness, so you will need to compensate by adding some more salt.
• When measuring the walnuts, crush them slightly using your fingers. This will ease the measuring process. You want to really pack the cup!
• This is a VERY versatile recipe! Use it as a base and add some more wholesome ingredients to it such as ½ of an avocado, baby spinach leaves, swap the lemon juice for apple cider vinegar or do a mix and match of nuts such as walnuts + almonds. In any case, if you end up adding lots of extra ingredients, then you might have to add more water and/or flavoring ingredients.

Serving ideas

Pesto is such a great all-purpose green Italian sauce! You can serve it over pizza or soups, spread in sandwiches or even use it as a dipping sauce or salad dressings. We use it over flatbread bruschetta and it was amazing! Also great simply spread over bread as a side dish or mixed in with hummus. Makes for the best buddha bowl topping too!

But my favorite way to serve this vegan walnut pesto recipe is simply by making a pasta sauce. Toss short noodles or your favorite pasta that you like with this pesto and top your meal with roasted cherry tomatoes (I simply roast them in a pan while I cook my noodles) or steamed broccoli florets. The best pesto pasta meal! Sprinkle with some vegan parmesan cheese or dollop a generous amount of vegan ricotta over if you have some ready to go.

Another great way would be to add some of that pesto to my vegan cashew white sauce and then serve it over pasta with roasted vegetables. Or use it to stuff in lasagnas.

I highly recommend making more and I bet you will find so many ways to use your leftovers!

Fresh basil walnut pesto recipe variations

Like most classic pesto recipes, you can modify the recipe to your taste very easily. I recommend tasting the result right in the food processor and adjusting the flavor to your preference. Here are a few variations to try:

• Cheesy flavor: you can add grated vegan parmesan cheese for a more authentic cheese flavor. We like this bloc of dairy-free parmesan style cheese from the brand Violife, you can usually find it at the grocery store.

• Swap the fresh herbs: you can mix and match with other herbs, such as parsley, mint or cilantro.

• Tomato pesto: add a handful of sundried tomatoes to the food processor for a red pesto! If kept in oil, make sure to drain and pat dry very well and if kept in a bag in the pantry, then rehydrate in hot water first.

• Red pepper pesto: adding roasted red peppers to your favorite pesto recipe can really add a lot of delicious flavors! Check out this red pepper pesto for inspiration.

Storage tips

Keep the leftover pesto in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. The top layer of the pesto might turn slightly brown, which is fine, simply stir before using it to brighten up the color of the pesto. This is caused by oxidation (contact with ambient air), but the taste stays the same. To avoid browning, you could also cover it with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the pesto.

A dairy-free pesto also freezes better! You can freeze it in ice cube trays so you can grab smaller portions at a time. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I would also advise you to store the extra pesto apart from your meal if possible (for example, apart from your noodles). I found that the noodles were absorbing some of the pesto (I'm guessing since it is an oil-free recipe) and the texture was not the same after storing.

FAQ's

Other vegan green sauces you might like

• Vegan creamy cashew pesto sauce
• Avocado green goddess sauce
• Vegan mint tzatziki
• Pasta al pesto
• Avocado ranch dressing
• Broccoli hummus
• Healthy vegan Italian dressing
• Tahini-pesto (in this vegan warm couscous salad)
• Vegan cashew basil pesto

I hope you like this vegan walnut pesto as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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