Paraben Free Vegan Basil Pesto with Lemon Zest
Fresh, vibrant, and made entirely from whole ingredients you can actually recognize, this dairy-free pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on everything. Toasted pine nuts bring a warm, buttery depth, while packed basil leaves keep the color brilliantly green and the flavor unmistakably fresh. Nutritional yeast steps in for parmesan, delivering that savory, umami richness without any dairy — and it works beautifully. A hit of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice lifts the whole thing, giving the sauce a brightness that store-bought versions rarely manage to capture. Because every ingredient here is a simple, recognizable whole food — herbs, nuts, olive oil, citrus — you're not navigating a label full of preservatives or synthetic additives that can sneak into commercial condiments. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting, and a slow drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil brings it all together into a thick, glossy sauce that clings perfectly to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. Make a batch, keep it in the fridge, and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week.
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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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