Vegan Basil and Walnut Pesto with Nutritional Yeast to Make it Vegan
Basil is abundant at this time of year. My garden beds are bursting at the seams with this gorgeous fragrant herb, so I made a big batch of classic vegan walnut pesto to take to a meet the new neighbor party that my friend hosted a few nights ago.
Nothing is better than fresh picked basil that goes from garden to bowl. The flavor and the aroma is incomparable. Just look at the dark green color of this delicious pesto dip made with walnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts.
My friends have gone from skeptical to excited when they see that I've brought vegan food to our neighborhood get togethers. As soon as they saw the vegan cheese and pesto platter that I brought to our latest party they started digging in, and the compliments started flowing.
One of the things that I love about pesto is that there are so many ways to make it. That's why there are three more pesto recipes on this blog. We have an oil free version, a mint pesto version, and a spicy version. Click the links if you want to check them out.
Oil-free Pesto
Pea and Mint Pesto
Spicy Pesto
This classic pesto with walnuts and nutritional yeast is one of my favorites because it’s thick and perfect for dipping and spreading on crackers or sandwiches. You could make it thinner and use it for a sauce for pasta; it’s an all-purpose dip. For the party I paired it with several different types of crackers.
How to Make Vegan Pesto with Walnuts and Basil
To make this easy basil and walnut pesto you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Fresh Basil
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Nutritional Yeast
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and whip it up until it’s thick and smooth. It just doesn’t get any easier than that.
Notes on the Garlic: To tame the sharp bitter taste of raw garlic you can blanch it in boiling water for two minutes. Just throw the peeled garlic in a pot of boiling water and turn off the heat. Let it sit for two minutes and then remove it with a slotted spoon and transfer it to the food processor.
Notes on the Walnuts: I used raw walnuts in place of the traditional pine nuts because I like the earthy flavor of the walnuts, and they’re less expensive. Make sure you toast the walnuts to get their full flavor.
Notes on the Pesto: The walnuts make a more textured pesto, which I really like for a dip. You can add more oil and make it creamier if you like. The nutritional yeast adds the cheese flavor that you’d get from the parmesan that’s added to conventional pesto. Don’t skip it because it’s an important part of this recipe.
If you're reading this today, Happy Fourth of July! 
Do us a favor, we want to show the world that plant-based foods are delicious and exciting. So let's connect and share all of this awesomeness with the world. Hop on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and follow us and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. We'd be so grateful if you did. If you like this recipe and can't wait to see what we're going to share next, subscribe to Veganosity. Just fill in the subscription box above our picture in the top right corner of the page. And, Alex and I love hearing from you, please leave a comment and let us know what you think of our recipes.
I just bought a new food processor and I LOVE it! Click on the picture to buy one for yourself.
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
Classic Vegan Walnut Pesto
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and blanched
- 3 packed cups of basil leaves
- ⅓ cup of raw walnuts – toasted
- 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon of ground sea salt
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in a 375°F oven for approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until they’re lightly browned. Shake the pan every minute or so and watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil and drop the garlic cloves in the water and turn off the heat. Let them sit for two minutes. Transfer the garlic to the food processor with a slotted spoon.
- Put the basil leaves, walnuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, and three tablespoons of olive oil in the food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add more oil if you like your pesto thinner.
- Spread on crackers or toast or toss with pasta.
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or freeze for up to a month.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This looks great, gorgeous thriving basil! Agreed on walnuts, so much cheaper!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! I actually like the flavor of the walnuts better than the pine nuts, it's a win-win. 🙂
Strength and Sunshine says
Walnuts are so good for pesto with all their natural oils! A vegan must! (with the nooch 😉 )
Linda Meyer says
I actually prefer walnuts over pine nuts. They're more nutritious and a lot cheaper! 🙂
Tricia Berkow says
I think you might have a typo here...your recipe states to toast the "almonds" but your recipe calls for walnuts. Huh?
Linda Meyer says
Thanks for catching that, Tricia. All fixed!
Tricia Berkow says
I'm a typo "nut" ?... By the way...thank you so much for giving "Dining At The Ravens" a great review. My daughter-in-law, Sadhana Berkow, is the creative executive chef. She had a lot to do with writing this book. I am very proud of her!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Tricia! It was my pleasure; it's a wonderful book. How wonderful that your daughter-in-law in the creative executive chef at The Ravens and that she contributed to the book. I'd love to get the chance to try her food one day, it all looks delicious.
Natalie says
Your basil plants look incredible!! Wow mine have a long way to go haha 😀 But I think I will be able to get at least one more batch of pesto out of them. This recipe looks delicious, I'm leaning towards the dip option!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Natalie! They're doing great, I hope I can keep them this healthy for the rest of the summer. You can't go wrong with pesto dip.