10-Minute Vegan Pesto

Created by Laura Wright — Published 14/11/2022
5 from 4 votes

This vegan pesto recipe comes together super quick in the food processor. A pine nut and walnut base is flavoured with lemon, garlic, fresh basil, as well as miso and nutritional yeast for savoury depth. Perfect to serve with pasta, pizza, on roasted vegetables, or mixed into dressings and salads.

A head-on shot of a glass jar filled with vegan pesto.

This 10-minute vegan pesto has all the classic and punchy flavor of the Italian sauce, but none of the dairy. To make pesto without cheese, I substitute both nutritional yeast and light miso for a bit of umami and a hint of funk. The miso is also naturally salty, so it helps to season this vegan pesto recipe nicely. I have a bunch of recipes that call for this sauce, like my Skillet Lasagna and plenty of other vegan pasta dinners. You just need 10 minutes of prep time and a food processor.

A slight 3/4 angle shot shows a jar of vegan pesto with a spoon sticking out of the jar.
An overhead shot of ingredients for a vegan pesto recipe: walnuts, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, miso, lemon, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper.
An overhead shot of ground up nuts, garlic cloves, a dab of miso, and nutritional yeast in a food processor.
An overhead shot shows a hand tossing fresh basil leaves into a food processor bowl.

I like to go classic with a vegan basil pesto. Other greens are great in certain contexts, but basil is the most versatile from my kitchen cooking experience. My base of choice is a 50/50 mix of pine nuts and walnuts. Pine nuts are typical, but also super expensive. I find that the buttery flavor of walnuts is complimentary. Olive oil is such a crucial ingredient as well, so I recommend using one that you really love the flavor of on its own.

You can use other leafy herbs in place of the basil for a totally different vibe that isn’t at all traditional. I like a mix of parsley and mint for certain dishes. Kale or spinach pesto is fun to make as well! Pistachios or almonds work great in place of the pine nut/walnut mixture. I prefer nuts that are more “meaty” for pesto. Lastly, for a vegan pesto with no nuts, look to toasted sunflower seeds!

How to store and freeze:

  • As soon as you’re done mixing in the food processor, transfer pesto to a lidded glass jar. Tap the jar on the counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles. Then pour a thin film of olive oil on top to prevent browning. Close the lid on top and store in the fridge. The pesto lasts like this for up to a week.
  • TO freeze, follow the same steps that you would for the fridge, including the film of oil on top, and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

I really hope that you’ll try my vegan pesto recipe! I am fully convinced that the miso makes a huge difference. Even as a person who loves nutritional yeast, I think too much of it can be quite heavy and take away from the fragrant basil. In this recipe, the miso helps us keep that perfect savory balance with just a smaller amount of nutritional yeast.

An overhead shot shows a pulsed up mixture of nuts, basil, garlic, and other seasonings.
A head-on shot shows a hand pouring a cruet of olive oil into the feed tube of a food processor.
An overhead shot shows a hand squeezing a lemon half into a food processor bowl filled with vegan pesto.
An overhead shot of vegan pesto after being freshly mixed up in a food processor.
A head-on shot of a closed Weck jar filled with vegan pesto.

10-Minute Vegan Pesto

This vegan pesto recipe comes together super quick in the food processor. A pine nut and walnut base is flavoured with lemon, garlic, fresh basil, as well as miso and nutritional yeast for savoury depth. Perfect to serve with pasta, pizza, on roasted vegetables, or mixed into dressings and salads.
5 from 4 votes
A head-on shot of a glass jar filled with vegan pesto.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon light miso
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • ⅓ – ½ cup olive oil, plus extra
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Notes

  • Pesto has so few ingredients, so I like to ensure that I really enjoy the flavour of the olive oil that I’m using and I also use the freshest basil I can find.
  • You can substitute the pine nut/walnut combination with almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios. I tend to prefer “meatier” nuts/seeds in pesto (as opposed to creamier ones like cashews or macadamias)
  • A handful of baby spinach in with the basil makes the pesto extra green without adjusting the flavour at all.
  • If I have an extra minute, I will blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 20 seconds and then plunge them in an ice bath. From here, I gently squeeze out the excess moisture and proceed with the recipe. This extra step gives you extra, EXTRA green pesto.

Instructions

  • Place the pine nuts and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "S" blade. Pulse the nuts until they are a coarse, meal-like consistency.
  • To the food processor, add the garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, miso, salt, and pepper. Pulse until garlic is finely chopped.
  • Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula. Then, add the basil all at once. Pulse until the basil is finely chopped.
  • Turn the motor on and drizzle the olive oil in through the feed tube. I like my pesto a bit more saucy and fluid, so I use the full ½ cup. Once you have the consistency you like, stop the motor.
  • Add the lemon juice to the pesto and give it a little stir. Taste the pesto and adjust the seasoning if necessary (more salt, lemon etc).
  • Transfer the vegan pesto to a sealable jar. Bang the jar on the counter a few times to settle the air bubbles. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the surface (to prevent browning). Close the lid on top and keep in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze the pesto for up to 6 months.
14/11/2022 (Last Updated 22/05/2025)
Posted in: autumn, creamy, gluten free, grain-free, pasta, quick, refined sugar-free, salty, sauce, spring, summer, vegan, winter

1 comment

5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Recipe Rating





  • Kim H

    5 stars
    I was about to buy TJ’s vegan pesto (which I don’t really like) when I realized I could probably make my own. Thank you for this recipe, especially the notes! I used walnuts and sunflower seeds (what I had on hand) and I also added a handful of spinach for color. So easy and delicious! I can’t wait to make it with fresh summer basil (vs the grocery store basil I used today)!