Basil Walnut Pesto (Super Easy, Vegan, Made in an Immersion Blender)
Basil Walnut Pesto is a super easy, homemade vegan pesto recipe that is perfect with pasta dishes, salads, on chicken and salmon as a sauce or even as a dip! The walnuts give it a creamy base which helps avoid the parmesan altogether, and are a great substitute to pine nuts.
Servings: 1 cup
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Walnuts
- 4 cups Basil leaves fresh
- 4 Garlic cloves peeled
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Lime juice optional
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the walnuts, basil, garlic, salt and pepper in a jar and use an immersion blender to break everything down into a rough, chunky paste.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil and continue to blend till the basil walnut pesto is smooth. Mix in the lime juice if you like. I love adding a squirt of lime juice because it adds to the fresh flavors and keeps the color bright green.
- Use immediately as a spread for sandwiches, on salads, or as a pasta sauce, on chicken and salmon.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately a cup of pesto
- Pesto should be used immediately or the color starts to darken (this will not affect the taste in anyway)
- To store the pesto, use the smallest possible container, top with olive oil and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks
Nutrition
Calories: 1366kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 147g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 541mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5064IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 5mg