Vegan pesto

I love pesto! That fresh, herby, garlicy richness is a concoction made in heaven! But, of course, traditional pesto is made with a mountain of Parmesan cheese, so finding a tasty vegan pesto is not easy. And this is where I take creative liberty to craft my own!

I happened to have a plethora of fresh herbs left over from our CSA share, so immediately my foodie mind resorted to pesto. Basil, check. Parsley, check. I’m not a fan of pignolis (pine nuts), those little kernel-looking nuts commonly used to make pesto, so I opted for raw almonds instead, although raw cashews would have been a delicious substitution as well. I blended the herbs and nuts with fresh garlic cloves, a dash of salt and black pepper, and several big glugs of fruity extra virgin olive oil. To say the very least, my house smelled amazing! Like an herb garden collided with a Tuscan garlic shop! Not only is this pesto vegan, but it’s also paleo-friendly as well!

This recipe makes about three cups of pesto, which is quite a large quantity, but, if you ask me, you can never have too much pesto! Since pesto freezes incredibly well, it’s best to make it in large batches like this when you have the fresh ingredients on hand so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor in the months to come! I recommend freezing it flattened-out in a large Zip-lock bag. This way, you can break off a piece of the pesto as you need it instead of unthawing the whole batch. It’s a great quick dinner fix! That’s exactly what I did with mine! I froze the whole batch, knowing I would be making some pesto-y dishes in the weeks to come. Perfect for meal prepping! No need to thaw the pesto, just break off a chunk frozen and toss it with hot brown rice or lentil pasta, quinoa, rice, or grilled chicken!

For dinner tonight, I broke off about ¼ cup-worth of the pesto, tossed it with some braised chicken breasts, and served it over zucchini noodles. Exquisite!

Below is my recipe for vegan pesto, so feel free to add it to any recipe you’d like!

Vegan pesto

(makes about 3 cups of pesto)

2 large bunches of fresh parsley (about 3-4 cups)

3 cups fresh basil

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic

1 cup raw almonds

Combine all the parsley, basil, garlic, almonds, salt, and black pepper in a food processor and pulse until all the ingredients are broken down. Then, with the food processor on and the small center cap removed from the lid, stream in the olive oil. Add more olive oil as needed and season with more salt and pepper as needed. The final consistency should be smooth, but thick, almost paste-like. Serve with chicken or toss into brown rice pasta for a hearty meal!