OK friends, meet your new go-to pesto! It’s vegan, dairy-free, and made with only 5 ingredients! It’s bright, herby, and so versatile, perfect for tossing with pasta, spreading on toast, or serving as a dip with crudites and crackers.
For full disclosure this is exactly the same as my kale and basil pesto only without the basil and the cheese. Passing on the parmesan makes this recipe dairy-free and vegan without compromising on the flavour. Bonus points for saving money and calories by leaving out the cheese too!
In this recipe, nutritional yeast flakes are substituted for the cheese – they’re affordable, flavourful, packed full of Vitamin B and add a rich umami to the pesto. What’s not to love?
I first made this vegan pesto when we were invited to drinks with our neighbours, one of whom has a dairy allergy. Now I make it more often than the original recipe because it’s so quick, easy and apart from the kale, you just need a few pantry staples. It’s a win, win! I like it dense for dipping but if you like a looser pesto, just add a little more oil.
This little jar of green goodness proves that simple can be extraordinary. Bright, flavourful, and totally plant-based, it’s a pesto that elevates any meal or snack.
How would you enjoy this vegan pesto? As a zesty dip, a pasta topper, or spread on warm toast?
Makes 1 medium jar
Ingredients
1 clove garlic
50g kale leaves, washed and stems removed
100g raw cashews
60g olive oil
1-2 tablespoon lemon juice (to taste)
How to – Food Processor
Place the garlic, kale and cashews in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the lemon juice and with the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream until well combined.
Thermomix
Place garlic into TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 5. Add the kale, nuts, oil and juice and chop 2 or 3 times on Turbo or until the desired consistency is achieved.
