Vegan Walnut Pesto

Total time15 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time5 min

4.9

(25)

Bright, herby, and deeply savory, this walnut pesto comes together in minutes and delivers the kind of bold, garlicky flavor that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. The secret to its rich, nutty depth is toasting the walnuts first — just a few minutes in a dry skillet transforms them into something noticeably more fragrant and complex. Traditional pesto leans on Parmesan for that umami punch, but nutritional yeast steps in here and genuinely earns its place, adding a cheesy, savory note without any dairy. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice keeps the whole thing bright and stops it from feeling heavy, even with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil. The food processor does the heavy lifting, and the technique of streaming in the oil while it runs gives you that thick, spoonable texture that clings beautifully to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. This recipe makes six servings, so it's worth doubling and keeping a jar in the fridge all week — it only gets better as the flavors settle.

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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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