Paraben 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. Toasted pine nuts add a warm, buttery depth, while fresh lemon juice and zest keep things lively and vibrant. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy richness without any dairy, making this a fully plant-based sauce that doesn't feel like it's missing a thing. Many store-bought pestos and condiments contain preservatives and synthetic additives that can be a real concern for anyone keeping their ingredient list clean, so blending your own from whole, recognizable ingredients is a genuinely smart move. The food processor does most of the work here — a quick pulse, a slow drizzle of good olive oil, and you're done in minutes. The result is a thick, spoonable sauce with real texture and a bold, garlicky kick that works beautifully tossed with pasta, spread on flatbread, or dolloped over roasted vegetables.
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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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