Vegan Walnut Basil Pesto (Easy Oil-Free Recipe)

Close up on a small white bowl filled with a vegan walnut pesto topped with slices of lemon and fresh basil leaves.

5 from 2 votes

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Total Time5

Course: condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Equipment

Food processor

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

Instructions

Add the walnuts, fresh basil, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice and salt to a food processor and process until a thick paste forms.
Use a spatula to scrape the walls and bring the ingredients back to the bottom of the container. Then, add the water into a stream while processing again.
Taste to adjust the flavor and consistency (add more water, salt and lemon juice as needed).
Enjoy over pasta, in lasagnas, salads or over buddha bowls and soups. Also great in sandwiches.

Video

Notes

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. You can also freeze in ice cube trays (up to 3 months) so you can grab smaller portions at the time.
I would also advice 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.
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.
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition