Artificial Food Coloring Free Vegan Lemon Arugula Pesto
Bright, peppery, and packed with fresh flavor, this lemon arugula pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on everything. Toasted pine nuts add a warm, nutty depth, while a hit of lemon juice and zest keeps the whole thing lively and vibrant. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy richness without any dairy, making it a genuinely satisfying plant-based option. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable — no dyes, no artificial additives, nothing that requires a second glance at a label. That matters more than you might think with store-bought pestos, which can sneak in color-enhancing additives to make the green pop. This one gets its gorgeous color entirely from three cups of fresh arugula, and it shows. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, or spoon it over roasted vegetables — it's endlessly versatile and comes together in under ten minutes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 3 cups packed fresh arugula
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Combine the toasted pine nuts, arugula, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped.
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