Lupin Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly, bright green shoots that spring up from hardneck garlic bulbs, and they bring a milder, grassier version of garlic's punch that makes this pesto genuinely exciting. Blended with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and a hit of lemon juice and zest, the result is a vibrant, deeply savory sauce that works on pasta, grain bowls, crostini, or straight off a spoon. Toasting the pine nuts first is a small step that pays off big — it draws out their natural richness and adds a subtle nuttiness that rounds out the whole sauce. The nutritional yeast steps in for parmesan, giving you that umami depth without any dairy, so the recipe is fully plant-based from start to finish. Because every ingredient here is whole and straightforward, there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden legume flours or fillers that can sneak into store-bought pestos and sauces. A food processor does most of the work in minutes, and a splash of water at the end lets you dial in exactly the consistency you want — thick enough to cling to noodles, loose enough to drizzle. It's the kind of seasonal sauce that makes you want to grab a bunch of scapes at the farmers market every single week they're available.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 6 oz garlic scapes (about 10–12 scapes), roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 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 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
- 2
Add the garlic scapes, basil, toasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and uniform.
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