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    Home » All Recipes

    Vegan Basil Pesto

    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.comJump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Classic basil pesto (or pesto alla genovese) is made in a mortar and pestle and typically contains: basil, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, and salt. My number 1 goal for this recipe was to "veganize" it. First things first, the parmesan had to go.

    Unfortunately, pine nuts cost a small fortune and veganizing pesto proved to be more difficult than simply replacing the parmesan. The end result though? The flavour is THERE. This recipe checks all the boxes for delicious pesto: (1.) Lots of fresh peppery basil (of course), (2.) earthy nuttiness, (3.) salty "cheesy" umami, (4.) and a zesty kick of garlic. The bonus? (5.) This pesto is a creamy green dream of a sauce.

    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.comLet's talk ingredients. The basil, olive oil, garlic, and salt stays the same. We're gonna ditch the mortar and pestle and whip out the food processor, starting with the basil, salt, garlic, and raw cashews. For a slightly more economic pesto, cashews will replace the bulk of the pine nuts.

    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.com

    Pulse the basil, cashews, garlic, and salt until it looks like the above (left) photo.

    Now we're going to add 3 near magical ingredients: hemp seeds (to mimic the flavour of the pine nuts), nutritional yeast (for vegan cheesy-nuttiness), and mellow white miso (for salty umami). The nooch + miso are key for that proper parmesan flavour.

    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.com

    Now we're going to add the olive oil. See that left photo, above? That's got most of the olive oil a typical pesto recipe would call for but the nutritional yeast (unlike real parmesan) soaks up the oil and turns the mixture into a thick paste. To turn this paste into a thick sauce, we've got to add water. With the help of the food processor, blending water into the oil of the pesto creates a beautiful creamy emulsion.

    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.com

    So now what? Dig in! Use it on pasta or in sandwiches, soups, or salads.

    You can store the pesto in the fridge, (topped with a thin layer of olive oil to stop it from oxidizing.) The pesto will feel really thick once it's chilled (perfect for spreading on sandwiches) but thins out when added to hot dishes like pasta.

    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.com

    Print
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    Vegan Basil Pesto - ilovevegan.com

    Vegan Basil Pesto

    ★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
    • Author: Brittany at ilovevegan.com
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 2 /3 cup 1x
    • Category: Sauces, Dips
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A delicious, creamy vegan basil pesto. Nutritional yeast and white miso mimic the salty, cheesy flavour of Parmesan while cashews + hemp seeds replace the typically expensive pine nuts.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ cup basil leaves, packed
    • ¼ cup raw cashews
    • 1 clove garlic
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • ½ tsp shiro (white) miso
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 3 tbsp water

    Instructions

    1. In a food processor, pulse basil, cashews, garlic, and salt, until cashews are finely chopped and evenly textured.
    2. Add the miso, nutritional yeast, and hemp seeds. Pulse until combined.
    3. While the processor is running, very slowly pour in the olive oil, followed by the water.
    4. To prevent oxidation, spoon pesto into a small jar and top with a thin layer of olive oil. As you use the pesto you can stir the oil in, or discard/reserve for later.

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. cheryl

      May 18, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      Along with this great, savory recipe for vegan basil pesto, I loved the writeup for making it--very well done and fun to read. And as always, delicious food photos here. 🌿

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Ana

      August 17, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      Can I sub hemp seeds with flax?

      Reply
      • Brittany

        August 17, 2018 at 6:10 pm

        No! I wouldn't! Flax seeds are going to be really gummy and make the texture of this pesto really goopy. You're better off with more cashews. You could also use pistachios or sunflower seeds!

        Reply
    3. Graciela

      December 23, 2017 at 7:17 am

      How long can we store the pesto for?

      Reply
      • Brittany

        December 23, 2017 at 9:54 am

        At least 4 days!

        Reply
    4. Hilda Cabanit

      October 18, 2016 at 6:52 pm

      What can we replace miso by?

      Reply
      • Brittany

        October 18, 2016 at 11:20 pm

        1/2 tsp of tahini might be a good substitute (I haven't tried it) or just leave it out. Either way, give the pesto a taste and see if it needs a little extra salt.

        Reply
    5. Valentine

      October 18, 2016 at 10:31 am

      This recipe is amazing!! Thanks a lot!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Brittany

        October 18, 2016 at 11:38 am

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    6. Edith

      August 30, 2016 at 3:39 am

      Such a great recipe! Love it 🙂
      Much love

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Brittany

        August 30, 2016 at 5:15 am

        Thanks Edith!

        Reply

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    Brittany and William of I Love Vegan

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    We're Brittany and William!
    We live in Alberta, Canada. We love eating really great (vegan) food + promoting veganism in a friendly and relaxed way.

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