I began making this vegan pesto for a good friend who required “no added oil” and “salt-free.“ This recipe makes about two cups—I was pleased I did not miss the oil as commercial vegan pesto has 18 gm of oil per cup! Use as a sandwich spread, a dip, on home-made English-muffin pizza, on Crostini’s, and as a sauce for pesto pasta.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of tightly packed basil leaves or 8-ounce package
  • 2 cups of tightly backed baby spinach leaves or 16-ounce package
  • 1 cup tightly packed kale leaves (cut off the main stalk) or 8 ounce-package
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast (not Brewer’s Yeast)
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ¼ cup pine nuts,
  • 1 Tbsp mock chicken vegetarian seasoning
  • ½ tsp sea salt (NoSaltTM,for no-salt option)

Preparation

Place all in a food processor and run until smooth. If too thick, add 1 Tbsp water at a time until desired consistency. I freeze it in ½-cup batches.

When I use it as a sauce for pesto pasta, I use the 12488 formula.

  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 onions sliced thin and caramelized
  • 4 ounces of vegan pesto
  • 8 ounces almond milk
  • 8 ounces cooked and drained pasta (I typically use gluten-free pasta)

Place almond milk and1 Tbsp cornstarch in a sauce pan over medium heat and stir until milk begins to thicken. Add vegan pesto (but avoid boiling so milk does not separate). When hot, add caramelized onions and drained pasta. Stir gently. Remove from heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes to allow sauce to be somewhat absorbed.

Serving

Spoon into pasta bowls. Try adding a spoonful of marinara sauce on top of the pasta for color and an extra flavor.