Shellfish 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 you'd find in a classic pesto, delivering that umami punch without any dairy, and it works beautifully alongside the fresh basil and lemon juice. Streaming the olive oil in slowly while the food processor runs gives you that thick, spoonable consistency that clings to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. Since every ingredient here is a whole, recognizable plant-based staple, there's zero guesswork about what's in it — no hidden seafood-derived additives or ambiguous "natural flavors" to second-guess. It comes together in one food processor with minimal cleanup, making it just as practical as it is delicious. Make a full batch and keep it in the fridge all week — you'll find reasons to use it every single day.
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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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