Pesto is a pantry staple. It adds a big flavor to all sorts of recipes and dishes. Toss it with pasta for dinner, throw it on top of vegetable soup, spread it over bread in a sandwich, use it as your sauce on pizza, top your favorite piece of meat or salmon with it, or add a spoonful to roasted vegetables. There just isn’t a wrong way to enjoy pesto.
I started making homemade pesto last summer when I was staying with my parents while house hunting and my mom was growing lots of basil. It was so easy and quick to make, not to mention way cheaper than the bottled store bought kind I used to get, that I’d whip it up all the time!
Pine nuts, a pretty universal staple in most pesto recipes, are very expensive. Good news though – you don’t need pine nuts to make a yummy pesto. Walnuts do the job very well! Another perk to this pesto sauce recipe is that it’s vegan, there’s no dairy (typically Parmesan cheese is included). I promise you though, you won’t even know it’s missing.
You’ll also be using fresh, sweet basil. Did you know basil actually has antibacterial properties, helps reduce inflammation, and has ingredients that reduce the risk of certain cancers?
If you have never tried making your own pesto, let this summer be your first. Head over to your local farmer’s market and grab a big bag of fresh, local basil. The aroma and flavor will be outta this world! Just throw all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor, and you’ll have fresh tasty pesto in minutes.
- 2 cups tightly packed washed, fresh sweet basil
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- Add all ingredients to your food processor or bender and blend until smooth. Add more water or olive oil if needed, depending on the consistency you like. Be sure to taste and adjust the salt level.
