Barley Free 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 — just a few minutes in a dry skillet coaxes out a rich, nutty depth that raw walnuts simply can't match. Nutritional yeast steps in for parmesan, delivering that umami, cheesy quality without any dairy, while fresh lemon juice keeps the whole thing lively and vibrant. The food processor does the heavy lifting, and streaming in the olive oil slowly is what gives the pesto that thick, glossy, spoonable texture. Store-bought pesto can be a minefield of hidden grains and additives, but every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. Toss it with pasta, swirl it into soup, spread it on toast, or use it as a dip — this one is endlessly versatile and comes together in under ten minutes.
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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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