Mustard Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly, bright green shoots that grow from hardneck garlic bulbs, and they bring a milder, grassy garlic flavor that makes this pesto genuinely special. Toasted pine nuts add a buttery richness, while fresh basil, lemon juice, and zest keep everything vibrant and a little citrusy. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy depth you'd expect from a classic pesto — no dairy required. The whole thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, making it one of those recipes that feels far more impressive than the effort involved. Every ingredient here is naturally free from mustard in any form, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress — just clean, bold flavor from start to finish. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, or swirl it into soups; the consistency is easy to adjust with a splash of water so it works however you need it.
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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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