The Best Vegan Pesto Recipe

Pesto can brighten up any dish. It’s so fresh tasting and it adds a ton of flavor to any salad, pasta, or sandwich. I like to eat it on a caprese salad. Pesto is also really good for marinating and grilling. Since many people are going vegan and gluten-free these days, try out this recipe with gluten-free pasta and skip the cheese, and you’ll be surprised at how good this pesto recipe tastes.  

Check out our video on making Vegan Pesto:

Pesto freezes amazingly well.  When basil is plentiful, we make loads of it and freeze it in ziploc bags (or in an ice cube tray). I defrost it either by dropping the ziploc in warm water or, if I’m going to cook with it, I just heat it up in a pan with a little olive oil. 

Here are 7 vegan ideas for using vegan pesto:

  • Warm Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cold Pesto Pasta Salad
  • Pesto Potato Salad with Capers, Red Onions and Parsley
  • Spread on Toast Topped with Avocado
  • Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Pesto, Tomatoes, and Lettuce
  • White Beans with Pesto
  • Grilled Zucchini topped with Pesto
Mediterranean Diet Recipes: Vegan Pesto

The Best Vegan Pesto Recipe

George Zikos
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh arugula
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts work too)
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
  • Sea salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Pulse all ingredients in a food processor to desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 347IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe? Tell us about it!Click here to rate this recipe in the comments section below.
About the Author: George Zikos
George studied International Business in Greece in 2015 for three semesters. His family is from the island of Crete, and he lived with them for a whole summer. During that time, he started working for Mediterranean Living and contributing his firsthand experiences of the traditional Cretan diet. He learned fluent Greek along the way, being fully immersed in a traditional Cretan village. He is since graduated with a business degree from Worcester State University. George loves language and traveling, so he completed a TEFL certificate program at the Boston Language Institute in order to teach English abroad and travel the world. He currently works full-time blogging, recipe formulating, and social media marketing for Mediterranean Living. His passions include language, gardening, hiking, skateboarding, and watching sports. He dreams of living in Crete one day, after he travels the world learning as many languages and cultures as possible.

One Comment

  1. Maria July 6, 2018 at 12:42 pm - Reply

    Wonderful simple because I’m really not very good cook

Leave A Comment

Recipe Rating




Mediterranean Living

Our Newsletter

Get seasonal recipe ideas as well as special offers on our online programs, live webinars and video releases. Sent once a week.