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vegan walnut pesto in a jar, next to it a spoon full of pesto.

Vegan Walnut Pesto (5 min)

Author: Katie
This easy Vegan Walnut Pesto Pasta recipe only requires 9 simple ingredients and comes together in 5 minutes. Packed with healthy fats it's the perfect quick and easy yet nourishing dinner when combined with pasta.
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4.25 from 4 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup raw walnuts
  • 2 cups basil (2 large handfuls) *pre-washed
  • 3 tablespoon nutrional yeast *or vegan parmesan
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove *minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

  • Set aside half of the olive oil.
  • Put all of the remaining ingredients into a food processor and start blending. Scrape down the sides a couple of times.
  • Pour in the rest of the olive oil while the food processor is still running. If that's not possible then add all of the olive oil at once and scrape down the sides as needed.
  • Taste and adjust flavor (more nutritional yeast, basil, salt...).
  • If you prefer a thinner sauce, add more oil/ vegetable broth until desired consistency.

Video

Notes

  • Equipment: You'll need a (small) food processor to prepare this pesto. The sauce doesn't need to be blended until completely smooth- we actually want to little pieces of walnuts left.
  • Oil-Free:  For an oil-free walnut pesto recipe, add one avocado and replace the oil with veggie broth. Start with ¼ cup of broth and gradually add more until you end up with a desired consistency. Making pesto without oil is possible but will result in a different taste and consistency.
  • Storage: To store: Place leftover pesto into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir before using it. To freeze: Freeze pesto in a ziplock bag or freeze it using an ice cube tray. 
  • Recipe makes about ½ cup of pesto (~170g) 

Nutrition

Serving: 1. | Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Sodium: 1165mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.
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