• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Oh My Veggies logo

  • Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian Main Dishes
    • Vegetarian Appetizers
    • Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes
    • Vegetarian Side Dishes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Snack Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Sauces, Spreads and Condiments
    • Holiday Recipes
    • From our Readers
  • Cooking Tips & Hints
    • Cooking Tips
    • Plant-Based Nutrition
    • Product Reviews
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Find Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Freebies!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Find Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Freebies!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Gluten Free Vegetarian Recipes

    Vegan Pesto

    Published: May 4, 2021 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 22, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    You only need 5 minutes to make this Vegan Pesto! This vegan pesto sauce is flavored with olive oil, basil, and—of course—some garlic. Toss this pesto with some pasta, serve it with tofu, and more!

    vegan pesto sauce in food processor
    Jump to:
    • How to Make Vegan Pesto 
    • Tips and Tricks For Vegan Pesto 
    • Variations To Vegan Pesto
    • Vegan Pesto FAQs
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    If you want a homemade vegan pesto sauce, I highly recommend this recipe. Go grab that food processor, and whip up this delicious pesto. You will want to use it on everything!

    Try spreading some vegan pesto on tasty Gluten-Free Focaccia bread. You can also swap the marinara sauce in this Vegan Pasta Bake for pesto. Or, whip up some Basic Pizza Dough and use Vegan Pesto as the base sauce for your tasty creations!

    Why You Will Love Vegan Pesto...

    • Vegan 
    • Gluten-Free 
    • Vegetarian 
    • Easy 
    • Creamy
    • Healthy
    • Quick To Make (5 Minutes)
    • Versatile Ingredients Can Be Used

    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!

    How to Make Vegan Pesto 

    how to make vegan pesto sauce collage
    1. Add ingredients to a food processor or blender. 
    2. Blend until the ingredients are well combined. 
    3. Season with salt and serve. 

    Tips and Tricks For Vegan Pesto 

    vegan pesto sauce ingredients in food processor

    De-stem Basil 

    I recommend taking the stems off the basil. You can twist them off or use a knife for a clean cut. Either route will help give your pesto a nice consistency and texture. 

    Food Processor Or Blender 

    Using a quality food processor or blender is going to help your ingredients blend together well. You need a blender or processor to get all the ingredients mixed into a creamy sauce.

    Jarred Minced Garlic 

    If you want to cut a corner, buy jarred minced garlic. Then just add a spoonful or two of garlic to the blender to flavor the pesto to your preference. 

    Using pre-minced, jarred garlic saves you time, since you don't have to peel the fresh cloves. If you need a quicker route to making pesto, using jarred garlic is a great shortcut. 

    Variations To Vegan Pesto

    vegan pesto sauce in a bowl of pasta

    Nuts 

    I usually use pine nuts or cashews for this pesto sauce. But, if you want, you can use other varieties of nuts. Pistachios are another tasty nut to add to this pesto for a nice blend of flavor. 

    Lemon Juice 

    Add a splash of lemon juice to add some acidic flavor to your pesto. This is of course optional, but you might really enjoy this variation to your pesto. 

    Vegan Pesto FAQs

    vegan pesto sauce ingredients in a food processor bowl

    How do you eat pesto? 

    A lot of times you will see pesto paired with a pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package, drain, and then toss in the pesto. Top with some fresh basil and enjoy. 

    You can also use pesto for dipping flatbread or pitas and pairing with tofu, chickpeas, and more. 

    Do you have to use oil for pesto? 

    Olive oil is used when making pesto. It is the liquid that helps to transform the ingredients into sauce—but it also adds flavor. If you are not wanting to use oil, you can use broth, but it will alter the flavor and texture. 

    Can you add nutritional yeast to pesto? 

    You can add 1–2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to your pesto if you are looking for new ways to use nutritional yeast. Just dump it in when you're ready to mix! 

    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!

    Recipe

    Vegan Pesto

    You only need 5 minutes to make this Vegan Pesto! This vegan pesto sauce is flavored with olive oil, basil, and—of course—some garlic. Toss this pesto with some pasta, serve it with tofu, and more!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Course: Dressings, Sauces
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Keyword: Delicious Everyday, pesto recipe, vegan pesto, vegan pesto sauce
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 450kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb whole wheat rigatoni pasta
    • 2 cups fresh basil leaves destemmed
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons pine nuts or cashews
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • sea salt to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender.
    • Blend until a smooth paste is formed.
    • Add salt, to taste.
    • Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 3–5 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 10gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 424IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « Vegan Butter Bean Pasta
    Vegan Mug Brownies »

    Delicious Everyday, Gluten Free Vegetarian Recipes, Sauces, Spreads and Condiments, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes basil leaves, DE, olive oil, pine nuts

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Something to say? Leave a comment. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    image of the author

    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
    Learn more here.

    signature of author

    get a free 5 day vegetarian meal plan

    shop our vegetarian and vegan cookbooks

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.

    veg kitchen
    step away from the carbs
    all she cooks
    midlife rambler
    wandertooth logo

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Hook & Porter Media

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required