Chicken Free Vegan Lemon Arugula Pesto
Bright, peppery, and loaded with fresh flavor, this arugula pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. The toasted pine nuts add a warm, nutty depth that balances the natural bite of the arugula, while fresh lemon juice and zest keep the whole thing tasting alive and vibrant. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy richness without any dairy, making this completely plant-based from start to finish. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting, and the whole thing comes together in just a few minutes once your pine nuts are toasted and cooled. Streaming the olive oil in slowly is the small but important step that gives the pesto its thick, spoonable consistency rather than a watery, broken sauce. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, swirl it into grain bowls, or use it as a dipping sauce — it's endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating.
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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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