Vegan Pesto with Lemon & Pine Nuts

I absolutely love using fresh basil from the garden. The fragrance is one of my favorite summer scents and there’s nothing quite like using ingredients that you helped grow yourself, which you know are clean and fresh. It brings the food you make to a whole new level! But even if you find your fresh ingredients at a local farmers market or in the grocery story, this recipe will hit the spot for quick, easy and savory pesto. You can serve it on pasta or use it as a spread on sandwiches.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 15 min

Yields: about 1.5 cups of pesto

Ingredients

4 cups loosely packed fresh basil

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp nutritional yeast (or vegan Parmesan)

Salt / pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add basil, olive oil, pine nuts and garlic (chopped into a few smaller pieces) in food processor until thoroughly mixed and in a paste-like consistency. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may want to add half of the basil first, mix, then add the rest. Add extra olive oil if you like a more liquid texture.

2. Next, add lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt/pepper. Adjust these ingredients to taste. You can also use vegan Parmesan instead of, or in addition to, the nutritional yeast.

3. Serve as a sauce over pasta or as a spread on sandwiches. Store in the fridge for later use.