This vegan almond pesto makes a wonderful spread for a grilled veggie wrap or as the sauce for a simple pasta with fresh tomatoes or tempeh bacon pesto pasta. Yum! This yummy almond pesto sauce is gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, and can be prepared in only 5 minutes.
What's in this pesto sauce recipe
- Almonds
- Fresh basil
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Salt to taste
How to make this vegan almond pesto sauce
Put raw almonds, fresh basil, lemon juice, roughly chopped garlic, and water into a blender and blend until smooth. I used a Nutribullet for this pesto sauce, which turned out great. If it's too stiff, add another tablespoon of water to thin it out. Salt to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon). If you like things spicy, add some crushed red pepper. If you like it "cheesy," add nutritional yeast.
Pesto keeps well in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Try this pesto on:
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegan pestos are typically made with nuts like almonds, pinenuts, or walnuts. One or more of these nuts are combined with fresh basil, lemon, garlic, and some type of liquid like water or olive oil. We use water in our recipe because it lowers the fat and calorie density between 50 to 100 calories per serving—aiding in weight loss.
Most traditional pesto recipes call for cheese—parmesan or pecorino romano—which is not vegan. If you want a cheesy flavor, and keep it vegan, we recommend adding some nutritional yeast.
As a nutritionist and food blogger, this vegan pesto recipe is healthier than others. The main reasons are: (1) this recipe has no dietary cholesterol found in traditional pesto (because of the cheese); and (2) we use water instead of oil, keeping the overall fat content down. If you want to learn more about oil, check out this article Is Olive Oil Healthy?
We hope you love this vegan almond pesto sauce as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
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Vegan Almond Pesto
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This yummy vegan almond pesto sauce is gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, and can be prepared in only 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup fresh basil, packed
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3-4 Tbsp water
- Salt to taste (I used ¼ tsp)
Optional additions
- ½ to 1 tsp crushed red pepper for heat
- 1 to 2 tsp nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor
Instructions
Put raw almonds, fresh basil, lemon juice, roughly chopped garlic, and water into a blender and blend until smooth. I used a Nutribullet for this pesto sauce, which turned out great. If it's too stiff, add another tablespoon of water to thin it out. Salt to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon). If you like things spicy, add some crushed red pepper. If you like it "cheesy," add nutritional yeast.
Pesto keeps well in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES
- Measuring cup
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Blender
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: vegan almond pesto sauce, oil free pesto sauce, basil almond pesto, no oil, soy free, daniel fast recipes, healthy recipes, vegan recipes, pesto pasta sauce
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