Pesto is one of those words on a menu that immediately grabs my attention. Pesto gnocchi? DONE. Pesto pizza? GIMME. Sandwich with pesto spread? WHY AM I NOT EATING IT YET? This vegan walnut pesto enhances many dishes and satisfies any pesto craving. It’s a great summertime spread and perfect for this month’s Recipe Redux theme: upgrading a sandwich!







One thing that surprised me when I became vegan is that most pesto sauces are not vegan! Traditional pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and parmesan cheese. Sneaky, sneaky; I never realized that cheese was in pesto! I thought it was just straight up basil, oil and seasonings!

A post shared by Becca Menke: MEd|Blogger|Coach (@rabbitfoodruns) on Jul 6, 2017 at 4:00pm PDT



I had two goals for this pesto: first, to veganize it while still maintaining a delicious flavor and texture, and second, to make it as inexpensive as possible. The result? Adios parmesan and pine nuts. Have you seen how much pine nuts cost?! A small fortune to say the least. Instead, I made a vegan walnut pesto.









Walnuts make the perfect budget-friendly pine nut substitution. Walnuts are rich in potassium, omega-3s, protein, and other important vitamins. Instead of parmesan cheese, I use nutritional yeast. I LOVE nutritional yeast. It has a cheesy taste and packs a surprising amount of protein per serving. I also buy a brand that’s fortified with vitamin B12, which is usually only in animal products. In other words, this walnut pesto is nutritious, flavorful and downright delicious.

Walnuts, basil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast and oil. That’s there is to it! Five minutes and you’ll have creamy vegan walnut pesto to use for anything your taste buds desire. I love adding this pesto sauce to sandwiches, zucchini noodles, pizza and salads!

What are your menu attention grabbers? How do you upgrade your sandwiches? If you try this recipe, let me know! Rate it, leave a comment, take a picture and tag @Rabbitfoodruns on Instagram. I’d love to see your vegan walnut pesto creations!

Buen provecho,

Becca

Print Recipe Walnut Pesto Vegan walnut pesto is creamy, flavorful, and only takes 5 minutes to make! Use walnut pesto as a pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, dressing on salads, the possibilities are endless! Prep Time 5 minutes Servings cup Ingredients 1/2 cup walnuts

2 cups fresh basil

1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

3 tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil ** Prep Time 5 minutes Servings cup Ingredients 1/2 cup walnuts

2 cups fresh basil

1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

3 tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil ** Instructions Pulse walnuts in food processor into small bits Add in lemon juice, basil, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, and salt. Pulse in a food processor until all ingredients are combined and in small bits. With the processor running, add in the oil in a thin stream, one tablespoon at a time. Pause after each tablespoon to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Continue until all the oil has been added and the ingredients are well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste. Makes 1/2 a cup. Store in a glass container for up to two weeks. Recipe Notes ** I've made this recipe with both grapeseed oil and olive oil. There's no difference in taste, it just depends on what I have on hand! **For creamier walnut pesto add more olive oil; for thicker pesto keep it to 3 tablespoons. Save Save Save Save Share this Recipe

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