I love this vegan pesto without the cheese; it tastes like the real thing only better to me! Toss with pasta or serve with bread or crackers for an appetizer.
Vegan Pesto Recipe Ingredients
Basil
The magic ingredient in pesto is basil. As tasty as it is, there is much more to it.
Basil has been considered to be ‘The Oldest Herb’. It has been used for health reasons and for its distinct flavour which is delicious. It is one of my favorite herbs to use in my kitchen. Basil is full of health benefits making it a herb superfood and it has an amazing history. Learn more about The Oldest Herb Is Full of Health Benefits.
Pine nuts
Pine nuts have many of the same health benefits as other nuts. In numerous studies, the consumption of nuts was found to lower waist circumference, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and increase high cholesterol.
Garlic
To get the most health benefits from Garlic, let it sit for a minimum of 5 minutes, after cutting and before eating or cooking. Waiting for 5 – 10 minutes allows the health-promoting allicin to form. If you do not let it sit, allicin is never formed, so it is worth the wait. Add some garlic to your soups, stews, and salad dressing recipes to lower high cholesterol. Sometimes it is easier to use some Organic Freeze Dried Garlic so no chopping and peeling.
Himalayan Salt
Himalayan Salt is actually good for you! 100% NATURAL PINK & CERTIFIED: Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt is Kosher Certified, Non-GMO, and does not contain any MSG, Soy, Gluten, Dairy, or anti-caking agents.
Olive Oil
Olive oil was referred to as “Liquid Gold” by the famous Greek poet Homer. If you are what you eat, what would happen if you consumed “Liquid Gold” daily? Extra-virgin olive oil (cold-pressed) is the best fat to use as a salad dressing. Do not use for cooking. It has a low smoke point and heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage. Olive oil has so many health benefits I include some every day when I eat my salad. Make sure you are using real olive oil.
Have you heard of the olive oil fraud?
Find out Which Olive Oil to Buy
Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Nutritional Yeast Flakes add a tangy, cheesy taste to my food which is good since I don’t eat cheese. I add this to sauces and pesto as a replacement for Parmesan cheese. Nutritional yeast flakes are an inactive form of yeast and are a good source of protein (contain 18 amino acids and nine are essential ones that your body cannot produce). Also, are a great source of B vitamins and the minerals iron, selenium, and zinc. Not to be confused with baker’s yeast, which is still active and can grow inside your stomach, depriving you of nutrients, or with brewer’s yeast, which is inactive but bitter.
Organic nutritional yeast is not fortified, so it does not have the same B vitamins and bright yellow color as conventional yeast flakes. Any fortified yeast cannot be organically certified. Try this very good variety of nutritional yeast: Druids Grove Organic Nutritional Yeast Flakes Kosher Certified
Vegan Pesto Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 cups fresh basil
- 1 2/3 + 1/3 c for later cup pine nuts
- 1 – 5 cloves garlic (optional)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 -3/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
Directions:
- Put the olive oil first into the blender; then add the basil and blend until smooth.
- Next, add the pine nuts and garlic; blend till they are ground.
- Now add the sea salt and nutritional yeast; blend until smooth.
- Pesto is best to not be completely smooth; a little texture is good.
- Add 1/3 cup of pine nuts and mix in at the end
Adjust amounts to your own taste. You can use other herbs besides basil; cilantro, parsley, and mint are good too.
Pine nuts have become very expensive so substitute walnuts or almonds in place of the pine nuts. Instead of salt put in a 3 tsp of Braggs.
Pesto keeps very well; it is delicious the next day and it freezes well too.
Here Are a Few Recipes with Basil in Them
Basil Tea – Good for nausea and indigestion.
Vegan Zucchini Pesto – This zucchini pesto is lighter than the regular pesto as it has less oil and adds a refreshing zest of zucchini to your pasta. Also, I prefer not to use cheese and the nutritional yeast gives it a delicious flavour.
Easy Peasy Green Pea Soup is Especially Delicious – This green pea soup really is yummy and it is a super easy soup to make. Hearing me say that frozen peas taste good is amazing; as I don’t even like to eat frozen peas. But this creamy green pea soup is really delicious and within a week I had it twice!
Tasty Tempeh Burgers are Vegan and Gluten-Free – These tempeh burgers are tasty and a very good source of protein for dinner. They have all the health benefits with B12. You can make them into burgers with buns or what I do is have them with a salad or steamed vegetables.
Discover More Tasty Pesto Recipes
Vegan Hemp Heart Pesto is Nut Free and Delicious – This hemp heart pesto is vegan, nut-free and raw. It makes lunch or dinner extra delicious. Most pestos have cheese in them which doesn’t work for those of us who eat dairy-free. I always make my pestos without the cheese. For some, it is best not to eat lots of nuts and this hemp heart pesto is perfect as the hemp hearts add the flavour and texture without the nuts.
Tasty Vegan Chickweed Pesto – This chickweed pesto is vegan, is easy to make and tastes great! One of the best things about it is that it is made from a weed that grows everywhere. It is a delicate green weed which is so good for pesto. Toss this pesto with pasta or serve it with bread or crackers for an appetizer.
Fresh Peppermint Pesto Is So Tasty on Pasta – I love this vegan peppermint pesto during the hot summer. Try it on raw zucchini pasta or even added to your cooked grains or on top of steamed vegetables.
Arugula Pesto Recipe – This arugula pesto is a favourite of mine and it is great to be able to use walnuts instead of the wonderful pine nuts with are so expensive. Usually, cheese is an ingredient when making a pesto recipe but there is no cheese in this and it still has a cheesy flavour thanks to the Nutritional Yeast used.
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