Mustard Free Vegan Basil Pesto with Lemon Zest
Bright, herby, and packed with fresh flavor, this plant-based pesto is the kind of sauce that makes everything it touches taste better. Toasted pine nuts bring a warm, nutty depth, while nutritional yeast steps in for the savory, cheesy richness you'd expect from a classic version — no dairy required. The lemon zest and fresh lemon juice are what really set this one apart, lifting the whole sauce with a citrusy brightness that keeps it from feeling heavy. Store-bought pestos and condiments can be surprisingly tricky territory, often hiding unexpected ingredients in the fine print, so blending your own from scratch puts you fully in control. The food processor does most of the work, and streaming in the olive oil slowly is the key step that brings everything together into a glossy, spoonable sauce. A splash of water at the end lets you dial in exactly the consistency you want, whether you're tossing it with pasta, spreading it on toast, or spooning it over roasted vegetables. Clean, simple, and genuinely delicious — this is a pesto worth keeping in regular rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp water, as needed
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer immediately to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Combine the toasted pine nuts, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the ingredients are evenly broken down.
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