Vegetarian 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 where parmesan usually lives, delivering that umami, cheesy quality without any dairy in sight, which means this pesto works beautifully for anyone avoiding animal products while still tasting completely indulgent. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice keeps the whole thing bright and balanced against the richness of the olive oil. The food processor does the heavy lifting, and the slow drizzle of oil at the end gives you that thick, spoonable consistency that clings to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread like a dream. It comes together faster than most store-bought alternatives take to open, and you control every single ingredient that goes in.
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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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