Okay guys, here’s another super quick & easy, healthy, go-to recipe. Easy Vegan Oil-free Pesto is: fast (just 5 minutes), easy (your blender/food processor does the work for you), oil-free, nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free friendly—and it won’t crush your budget. (Don’t you hate leaving the grocery store with that ‘what the heck did I just buy’ feeling?!)
Why isn’t pesto vegan?
I LOVE pesto and it really sucks that when you go out to eat or buy pre-made pesto, it’s pretty much always made with parmesan cheese. So for us vegans, this rules out a lot of dishes we could otherwise enjoy. So to get my rich and creamy pesto fix, I make my own at home. I have a few different ways of making pesto, but I wanted to share this easy vegan oil-free pesto recipe with you because it’s the fastest, healthiest and cheapest one in my arsenal!
I love that this delicious pesto is:
- dairy-free
- oil-free
- nut-free (for those who are allergic)
- nutritional yeast-free (for those who can’t eat it)
- SO much lower in fat than traditional pesto!
How to make oil free vegan pesto
Not only is most pesto made with cheese, it’s also full of oil, which most of us on a whole food plant-based diet avoid due to oil’s damaging impact on artery function (video).
But, when you skip the oil, you need to replace its moisture. If you try just adding water, it ends up tasting watered down. (Duh right? Well I tried it and it doesn’t really work.) Yet, I didn’t want to add more fat, because while some fat in our diets is fine, too much is decidedly not.
My solution? I added a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and threw in a whole tomato. I figured, quite a few recipes that call for pesto also tend to call for tomatoes (pasta, pizza, sandwiches, etc), so why not?! I think it works great, but of course I’d really love to know what YOU think!
Use the blender’s low setting to process pesto ingredients processed into a chunky sauce
How to make budget friendly pesto
In summer in Wisconsin, it’s easy to find loads of inexpensive basil at the farmer’s markets. But the rest of the year, this common herb can get pretty pricey. Ditto for pine nuts, all the time.
To keep the healthfulness and flavor high—but the cost low—I use a blend of basil plus another light leafy green like baby spinach, arugula or baby kale. And as a sub for those delicious but spendy pine nuts, I use cheaper and healthy pepita seeds—a definite plus if you’re dealing with nut allergies.
You should be able to buy organic raw pepita seeds for less than the cost of most nuts. I’ve even made this with roasted tamari pepitas from my local co-op, which is extra delish.
Pesto processed into a chunky sauce in the food processor
What to eat with Easy Oil Free Vegan Pesto
Pasta is probably the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of pesto. I love it tossed with spaghetti, maybe with some fresh cherry tomatoes and basil thrown in. Or with some roasted vegetables like in my Pepita Pasta with Roasted Veggies recipe.
Pesto pasta
And it’s great slathered on a sandwich, too. But perhaps my all-time favorite way to eat pesto–and the one I pined for when I first became a vegan–is on a piping hot, thin-crust pesto pizza. With this chunky, tasty pesto recipe at hand, I’m not missing a thing.
Pesto pizza with almond ricotta cheese
If you like this oil & nut free recipe, you might also like my Oil Free Vegan Mayonnaise, Oil Free Hummus, Oil Free Spicy Hummus, Oil Free Baba Ganoush, Chickpea Cheese Sauce, or Chickpea Alfredo Sauce.
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Easy Vegan Oil-Free Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 2 cups baby spinach (or other 'light' leafy green like arugula or baby kale)
- 1 medium tomato quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup organic raw pepita pumpkin seeds see notes
- Sea salt and freshly ground back pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor (or blender on low speed), add the basil leaves, baby spinach (or other greens), tomato, garlic and lemon juice. Process until just blended and reduced in volume.
- Add the pepitas and and process until blended but still chunky, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. (See notes.)
- Season with sea salt freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Pepitas don't have shells and are only found in certain types of pumpkins. Don't substitute pumpkins seeds in their shells for this recipe! Raw seeds work well here, but I've also used tamari roasted seeds, which are delicious!
- I've made this recipe in both the food processor and the blender. I like this sauce chunky, and the food processor is a better option for that. It takes a little longer, up to a minute or so. If you use the blender, process on low to keep the sauce chunky, if desired.
- You can store this pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Nutrition
We enjoyed this — so fresh-tasting! Looking forward to making more, trying other greens/nuts and using it for potato salad.
Hi Nicole, super happy to hear you like this recipe. It’s absolutely one of our favorites too. I’ve added nutritional yeast for a bit of a ‘cheesy’ flavor, used pine nuts (like traditional pesto), and walnuts–all have been really good. I’ve never tried it on potato salad–but that sounds like a winner! Thanks for your comments 🙂
I’ve already made it again, this time with baby kale — a double batch as I scored a huge bunch of basil at the farmers market. Delicious!
IMO, that’s the very best way to cook–take what’s fresh and abundant, and work it into your favorite recipes! Well done, Nicole. 🙂
2 Cups of shredded basil leaves or whole leaves please?
Whole leaves here–no need to shred.
Can i still use pine nuts in this recipe instead of the pepita seeds
Hi Gina, yes you certainly can use pine nuts rather than pepitas. They’re higher in fat/lower in fiber, so that will affect the nutritional info, but it will taste delicious!
Turned out amazing. I used the pine nuts
Fabulous! So happy to hear you liked it. 🙂
This is easily the best pesto I’ve ever had! I suspect it will become a new staple in my kitchen. I did half pepitas and half sunflower seed kernels because it was what I had on hand–plus I added a hearty dose of nutritional yeast because I’m a nooch fiend. Currently eating it with pasta, topped with cherry tomatoes and an affordable helping of pine nuts for garnish. It tastes so fresh and light, yet hearty. So much better than oil based pestos! Definitely going to make this for everyone I know; I can’t wait to put this on pizza as you suggest.
I’m so happy you enjoy this pesto as much as we do. Love your adaptations, too! Thanks for your kind words. 🙂
Is there a recipe for the pizza? If not, what us the crust?
Hi Debbie, I don’t have a recipe for the pizza. (Hope to some day soon, when I develop a homemade crust I like.) For the one in the picture, I used a store-bought sprouted grain crust, and layered sliced tomatoes, pesto and almond ricotta on top. I baked according to the crust package directions. I don’t have a brand to recommend–it was a local one from my co-op.
This recipe was fantastic!! I made it just as posted with spinach and thought it was perfect! I loved the addition of pepitas; great idea! Even my non-vegan husband liked it. I appreciate that it is oil-free. Thank you!
Hi Kathy, Thanks a bunch for your glowing review! Love that your non-veg hubby like it too–that’s always one of my goals, so I’m really happy to hear this. Take care, Elizabeth
This pesto is amazing and exactly what I was looking for. It is better than oil based pestos, in my opinion. Used this on a roasted red pepper & eggplant sandwich with treenut cheese and ciabatta bread. The results were delicious! Thanks!
Hi Audrey, Thanks so much for your kind words, and you’re so welcome! I couldn’t agree more–after making this recipe I couldn’t believe I’d eaten all of those oily pestos in the past–who needs that, when you’ve got fresh, bold flavors like garlic and basil? Your sandwich sounds divine–and now I’m hungry just thinking about it. 🙂 Have a great day!
Hi, I love this recipe – it tastes amazing! How long does the pesto last if I keep it in a air tight jar in the fridge?
Hi Morgan, I’m so happy you love this pesto! It will keep for about a week in the fridge, and you can freeze it to. Enjoy! And thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
Great, thank you!
You’re very welcome, Morganne!