Seed Oil 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 everything. Toasted pine nuts bring a warm, buttery depth, while fresh lemon juice and zest keep 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. The only fat here is extra-virgin olive oil, which means none of the refined vegetable or seed oils that sneak into so many store-bought pestos and jarred sauces. That single swap matters more than it sounds — olive oil contributes real flavor and keeps the ingredient list clean and intentional. The food processor does most of the work in under ten minutes, and the result is a thick, spoonable sauce with just enough texture to feel rustic and homemade. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, or swirl it into soup — 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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