This sun-dried tomato pesto is bold, tangy and a little sweet, and it comes together in about five minutes with sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, parsley, garlic and lemon. Spoon it onto pasta, swirl it into salads or slather it on a sandwich, and suddenly dinner tastes like you tried really hard.
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Once you see how easy this is, you may never buy a jar of pesto again. Everything goes into the food processor at once, you hit the button, and a few minutes later you have a thick, rusty-red pesto that packs way more flavor than its short ingredient list suggests. A little goes a long way, too, so one batch keeps giving all week.
Why you'll love this sun dried tomato pesto recipe:
- No cheese needed, so it's naturally dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Ready in 5 minutes with no cooking
- Made mostly from pantry staples
- Freezer-friendly, so you can stash some for later
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sun-dried tomatoes. The star of the show, bringing deep, concentrated tomato flavor. Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are the easiest choice since they're already soft; drain them first and save that flavorful oil for loosening the pesto later. Dry-packed tomatoes work too. Soak them in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes until they're pliable, then drain well before blending.
- Walnuts. They give the pesto body and a mellow, buttery richness that balances the tangy tomatoes. Halves or pieces are both fine since the food processor does the chopping. Pine nuts, almonds or cashews all make good swaps, and sunflower seeds keep it nut-free.
- Parsley. Fresh parsley adds a bright, green freshness and keeps the pesto from tasting heavy. Flat-leaf or curly both work, and tender stems can go right in. Fresh basil is a great substitute if you have it.
- Garlic. Four cloves give this pesto a nice garlicky kick. If you're sensitive to raw garlic, start with two cloves and add more after tasting.
- Lemon juice. A splash of lemon juice brightens everything and cuts through the richness of the nuts and oil. Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled is fine in a pinch, and red wine vinegar works if you're out of lemons.
Helpful Tips
No food processor? No problem. A high-powered blender works well; just stop and scrape down the sides often, and add the oil early so the blades have something to grab onto. You can also go old-school with a mortar and pestle, pounding the garlic and nuts first and then working in the tomatoes and parsley. In a real pinch, chop everything very finely with a sharp knife and stir in the oil and lemon juice for a rustic, chunky pesto.
Choose your texture. Pulse a few times first to break everything up, then blend until it looks the way you like it. A shorter blend leaves the pesto slightly coarse, which is perfect for spreading on bread or spooning over grain bowls. A longer blend gives you a smoother paste that coats pasta evenly.
Loosen it up as needed. This pesto is thick by design, so it's easy to thin it out for whatever you're making. Blend in a tablespoon or two of olive oil (or the oil from the tomato jar) for a richer sauce, or a splash of water or pasta cooking water for a lighter one. For a salad dressing, whisk a spoonful with extra lemon juice and oil until it's pourable.
Taste before you season. Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are often salted already, so taste the pesto before adding more salt. A pinch of pepper or an extra squeeze of lemon juice is often all it needs.
Toast the walnuts for extra flavor. It's optional, but a few minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat makes the walnuts nuttier and less bitter. Let them cool before blending.
Variations
- Make it green. If you love classic basil pesto, swap some or all of the parsley for fresh basil. Play around with the ratio until it suits your taste buds.
- Use pine nuts. Many pesto recipes use pine nuts instead of walnuts. They make the pesto a bit sweeter and more delicate, so try both and see which you like best.
- Add a cheesy note. This pesto is already vegan, but if you miss the savory flavor of parmesan, blend in a couple of tablespoons of vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast. Add a splash more oil if it gets too thick.
- Turn up the heat. Blend in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little chopped chili for a spicy version.
- Add roasted red peppers. A roasted red pepper or two makes the pesto sweeter, smoother and a little smoky.
Serving Ideas
Pasta is the obvious place to start: toss a few spoonfuls with hot pasta and a splash of the cooking water, then finish with fresh parsley or basil. It's just as good stirred into grains. That's exactly how it's served in the photos here, tossed with chewy farro and roasted eggplant in this Farro & Eggplant with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.
Thin it with lemon juice and oil for a zippy salad dressing that's great on pasta salads, potato salads and hearty greens. Or use it in place of tomato sauce on a Vegan Pizza for an extra punch of flavor.
It also makes a fantastic sandwich spread. Slather it on wraps, paninis and veggie burgers, or spread it on warm slices of Dill Soda Bread or crostini for an easy appetizer.
Storing & Freezing
Store sun-dried tomato pesto in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for about a week. Smooth the top and pour a thin layer of olive oil over it to keep it fresh. It firms up in the fridge, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or stir in a little oil or water, before using it.
This pesto also freezes beautifully for up to 6 months. Freeze it in small portions so you can grab just what you need; frozen pesto cubes made in an ice cube tray or muffin tin are perfect for this. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or drop a frozen cube straight into a pan of hot pasta and stir until it melts in.
And don't forget to grab a copy of my free vegan cheat sheet too! It's packed with my favorite easy substitutions to help you make just about any recipe vegan!
More Vegan Sauces and Spreads
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- Garlic Confit Recipe
- Vegan Pesto
- 15-Minute Cashew Cheese
- Pkhali (Georgian Spinach and Walnut Spread)
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced; oil-packed and drained, or dry-packed and rehydrated
- ¾ cup walnuts, halves or pieces
- ¾ cup parsley, fresh leaves, loosely packed
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to loosen, if needed
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice to a food processor.
- Pulse a few times to break everything up, then blend for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice, until it forms a thick paste.
- If the pesto is thicker than you like, blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons more olive oil or water until it reaches the consistency you want.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice, if needed.
- Use it as a pasta sauce, sandwich spread, pizza sauce or salad dressing.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Oil-packed vs. dry sun-dried tomatoes: drain oil-packed tomatoes and save the oil to loosen the pesto. Soak dry-packed tomatoes in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain well.
- Prep: slice the sun-dried tomatoes; walnut halves or pieces both work; use fresh parsley leaves (tender stems are fine).
- Optional cheesy flavor: blend in 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan, adding a splash more oil if it gets too thick.
- Texture: if the pesto is thicker than you like, blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or water.
- Nut-free: swap the walnuts for sunflower seeds.
- Storage: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Makes about 1 ¼ cups. Nutrition is per 2-tablespoon serving.
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