Vegan Walnut Basil Pesto (Easy Oil-Free Recipe)

Name: Vegan Walnut Basil Pesto (Easy Oil-Free Recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup walnuts; ½ cup nutritional yeast; 1 clove of garlic; 4 oz fresh basil leaves (or about 4 cups); 1 tbsp lemon juice; ½ tsp salt (or more to taste); ⅓ cup water (or as needed)

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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.

Overhead view on a small white bowl filled with a vegan walnut pesto topped with slices of lemon. There are some walnuts and more lemon around the bowl.

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, 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.

Front view on a vegan walnut pesto topped with basil and lemon slices. You can see the silky texture with speckles of fresh basil.

A dairy-free and oil-free pesto sauce, really?

A classic pesto sauce is loaded with 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, 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 olive oil makes classic pesto sauces so rich, I always swap the oil for cold water. And it does work so well, I promise! 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
Fresh basil leaves
Garlic
Nutritional yeast
Lemon
Salt

Showing are the ingredients needed to make this vegan walnut pesto.

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!

There is a spatula covered with a vegan walnut pesto close to the camera to show texture.

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 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.

In process picture showing an overheads view on a food processor filled with basil.

In process picture showing a stream of water adding to a food processor.

Watch how to make it

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 cases, if you end up adding lots of extra ingredients, then you might have to add more water and/or flavoring ingredients.

Overhead view on a bowl containing curly short noodles tossed in a vegan walnut pesto and topped with roasted tomatoes.

Serving ideas

Pesto is such a great all-purpose green sauce! You can serve over pizza or soups, spread in sandwiches or even use as a dipping sauce. Amazing simply spread over bread as a side dish or mixed in with hummus. Also makes for the best buddha bowl topping!

But my favorite way to serve this vegan walnut pesto is simply by using as a pasta sauce. Toss short noodles 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. 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 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!

Storage tips

Keep in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3-4 days. The top layer of the pesto might turn slightly brown, which is fine, simply stir before using 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 with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the pesto.

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

I would also advice you 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.

Close up on a small white spoon that's drizzling more vegan walnut pesto over a bowl of pasta.

FAQ's

Do I have to toast the walnuts first?

I usually don't, which makes this recipe SO quick and I find the pesto SO flavorful already with raw walnuts. If you do decide to toast them, then make sure to cool them down before processing with the other ingredients.

How to make it nut-free

Try swapping the walnuts with sunflower seeds. The flavor definitively won't be the same, but still delicious.

Can I use a blender instead of a food processor?

Yes you can, but unless you have a small blender such as a smoothie blender container, then you might have to double the recipe. Larger blenders just cannot handle such a small volume the same as a food processor. Just make more if using your blender and freeze the extra!

Other vegan green sauces you might like

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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