Low Sugar Vegan Walnut Pesto
Bright, herby, and deeply savory, this walnut pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. Toasting the walnuts first is the move — it draws out their natural richness and adds a subtle nuttiness that makes the whole batch taste more complex. Nutritional yeast steps in for the parmesan you'd find in a traditional pesto, delivering that umami depth without any dairy. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice keeps things lively and balances the olive oil beautifully. Store-bought pesto often sneaks in sweeteners or other additives you'd never expect in a savory sauce, so blending your own means you know exactly what's in the jar. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting here, and the whole thing comes together in just a few minutes of active effort. Toss it with pasta, swirl it into soup, or spread it thick on crusty bread — this one earns its place in the regular rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Add the walnuts to a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Combine the toasted walnuts, basil, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and roughly uniform.
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