Sesame 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 elevates the whole batch. Nutritional yeast steps in for the parmesan, delivering that umami punch and a subtle cheesiness without any dairy. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice keeps things lively and balances the richness of the olive oil beautifully. Many store-bought pestos sneak in tahini or sesame-based ingredients, so making your own from scratch means you know exactly what's going in the jar. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting, and the whole thing comes together in minutes. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, or swirl it into soup — this one earns a permanent spot in your weekly 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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