Soy 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. The toasted pine nuts add a warm, buttery depth that balances the bite of the arugula beautifully, while fresh lemon juice and zest keep the whole thing tasting alive and vibrant. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy richness you'd expect from a classic pesto — no dairy required. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from soy, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved; just whole, clean food that comes together in minutes. The food processor does most of the work, and streaming in the olive oil at the end gives you that luscious, spoonable consistency that clings perfectly to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. It's the kind of versatile, plant-based sauce that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation.
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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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