Dairy-free Pesto

Hey there strong people!

This “classic” pesto with a twist (oxymoron?) is so delicious! When I first started cooking, one of my favorite things to “make” was pesto pasta (with store bought pesto). Years later when I finally realized how easy it is to make homemade pesto, it is all I use now! Trust me, it’s so easy! While I enjoy a classic parmesan filled pesto, during my last Whole30 I decided to create a dairy-free version. You can simply leave out the cheese but I saw one of my favorite bloggers Diane Sanfilippo at Balanced Bites use nutritional yeast (genius).

Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast and contains a ton of “B” vitamins and the cheese like flavor makes it perfect for this recipe. It is rich in vitamin B-12 and folic acid amongst a ton of other vitamins! I use the TJ’s brand.

Back to the pesto, the hardest part about this recipe is making sure you have all of the ingredients at home. After that, you just through everything but the oil in a food processor or blender. Drizzle in the EVOO and BAM it’s done! I also added a cup of arugula for extra fiber. YOU CANNOT TASTE IT. I know arugula is known for its pepper-y flavor but the basil overpowers the boldness. If you absolutely cannot stand adding arugula or spinach, add an extra cup of basil to make it 3 cups.

Add this to just about anything! I love spreading it over a burger salad or any salad! Adding it on top of eggs (amazing) brings your childhood dream of “green egg and ham” alive!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Print Recipe

Dairy-free Pesto

Cook Time5 mins

Author: Julie

Ingredients

• 2 cups of fresh basil
• 1 cup of arugula or spinach
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Prep all of the ingredients listed above.
• Place all of the ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor or blender. I used a Vitamix.
• Start the food processor or blender and slowly drizzle in the EVOO.
• Taste the pesto and add more salt if needed (having no cheese makes it less salty).
• Pour into a small container with lid to keep fresh.

Notes

If you absolutely cannot stand adding arugula or spinach, add an extra cup of basil to make it 3 cups. Top pesto in container with more olive oil to keep from browning.