• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • about
  • contact
  • recipes
    • main dish
    • sides
    • breakfast
    • salads
    • dessert
    • snacks
    • sauces
    • drinks
  • work with me

Stem + Spoon logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • about
  • recipes
  • contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • about
    • recipes
    • contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » recipes

    November 6, 2019 recipes

    hello, plus a vegan pesto recipe

    This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you purchase using one of those links. I only recommend products I use and love. Thanks for supporting Stem and Spoon.

    It was 90 degrees here in sunny Arizona yesterday, and although it's November, I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that fall in the desert will never truly feel like fall. So, while my brain is telling me I should enjoy a bowl of hot soup, I wanted pesto instead. A light, pesto chicken salad, to be exact. This vegan pesto recipe is super simple, so simple in fact that it feels a bit underwhelming for a First Blog Post (btw, I'm so excited!), but that's kind of what I love about it. A handful of ingredients, five minutes and a food processor is all you need to create this yummy, flavorful, fat-dense pesto you can use in endless ways.

    If you're not aware, my low-carb food journey began right after my husband Ian was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of terminal brain cancer, at the age of 30. Since then, he's maintained a ketogenic diet with different variations over time, including vegan keto and, currently, a more modified keto diet that includes eggs and some meat, but very limited dairy. Enter this vegan pesto recipe, a classic pesto recipe with one minor change- no parmesan cheese! Instead, we use nutritional yeast, a magical ingredient that is packed full of nutrients (you guessed it) and also adds a salty, cheesy flavor.

    what is nutritional yeast?

    Nutritional yeast is a powdered, vegan-friendly ingredient you can find at almost any grocery store (look in the baking aisle or the spice aisle, sometimes in the bulk foods section). It's a light and flaky, mustard yellow powder, which contains high doses of B vitamins, protein (about 8 grams per serving!), potassiam, thiamin and folic acid. It's also perfect to add to keto diet recipes because it's low in carbohydrates and packed with fiber (about 2 grams of net carbs per serving). It is different than yeast that is used in breads due to the fact that it's an inactivated form of yeast, and isn't able to grow in baked goods. You can use it to add extra flavor to meals, a flavor that is similar to cheese (surprise!).

    how to make this simple vegan pesto

    Jump to Recipe

    Here's what you'll need, it's a short list!

    • fresh basil leaves
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • nutritional yeast (Bragg brand is pretty common), you can also find it in the bulk foods section at some stores
    • raw walnuts (or pine nuts)
    • salt and pepper
    • fresh garlic cloves
    • lemon

    Start by pulsing the fresh basil, raw walnuts and garlic cloves in a food processor or high-speed blender. (Side note- I like using walnuts because they are nutrient and fat-dense, with a slightly lower carb count than pine nuts. Plus, they're more affordable than pine nuts and we use them frequently so we almost always have them on hand.) Once the mixture resembles a paste, slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the blender going until it reaches a thick sauce consistency (you can add or subtract the amount of olive oil depending on your preference). Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste, blending for a few minutes to throughly combine.

    overhead shot of vegan pesto in a bowl

    This vegan pesto recipe makes a little over a cup of pesto, which will keep in the fridge for a few days (or you can easily freeze any extras.) Serve it as a salad dressing, bake it with chicken, dish it on top of zucchini noodles, etc.! We'll be eating pesto all week and that's perfectly okay with me.

    vegan pesto served on an arugula salad
    simple vegan pesto
    Pin
    Print

    simple vegan pesto

    Course: sauce, dressingCuisine: keto, gluten-free, veganDifficulty: easy
    Servings

    6-8

    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking timeminutes

    A delicious and easy vegan pesto recipe that is keto-friendly and dairy-free!

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups fresh basil, tightly packed

    • ¾ cup raw walnuts

    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

    • juice of one lemon

    • 2-3 tablespoon nutritional yeast

    • salt and pepper (to taste

    • 4 small garlic cloves

    Directions

    • Pulse the fresh basil, whole garlic cloves, and raw walnuts* in a food processor or high-speed blender until it resembles a thick paste. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times.
    • While the blender is going, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture, until it reaches the desired consistency. Continue to stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
    • Add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Blend for 1-2 minutes until it's thoroughly combined and the consistency of a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper* and more nutritional yeast to taste, or more olive oil for a thinner consistency.

    Notes

    • You can also use pine nuts for a more traditional pesto recipe. I prefer walnuts because they are slightly lower carb, very keto-friendly, and more affordable.
    • I like to add the salt and pepper last because while nutritional yeast doesn't contain sodium, it sometimes serves as a salt replacement and might affect the saltiness of a dish.

    More recipes

    • Broccoli Almond Soup (Low Carb, Dairy Optional)
    • Traeger Tri-Tip with Chimichurri
    • Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies (Keto, Gluten Free)
    • Broccoli Crunch Salad (Keto, Gluten Free)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jerry Hancock says

      November 07, 2019 at 3:47 am

      Thanks for letting me know about nutritional yeast and all the vitamin B and other things that are in it. Just to get those vitamins in a more natural form, I think I will be ordering some nutritional yeast from Amazon (since I live so far from any supermarket in this little remote town where I live).

      Reply
      • Abby says

        November 09, 2019 at 6:24 am

        You're welcome! Let me know what you think of it! We like to use it as a veggie seasoning, too!

        Reply
    2. NHancock says

      April 23, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      Really delicious. !

      Reply
    3. NHancock says

      April 23, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      Really delicious. Easy to make as well !!

      Reply

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Low-carb, gluten-free and keto recipes that are easy and elevated. Each is approachable and practical to make your low-carb life as simple (and delicious) as possible.

    latest recipes

    • Traeger Smoked Asparagus Recipe
    • Creamy Cauliflower Risotto (Keto, Low Carb)
    • Creamy Keto Tuscan Chicken
    • Gluten-Free Orange Cake (Keto, Low Carb)

    popular posts

    • Keto Poke Bowl (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)
    • Homemade Veggie Tots in Air Fryer (Gluten-Free, Keto)
    • Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Chipotle (Keto, Gluten-Free)
    • 15 Low-Carb Low-Sugar Drinks at Starbucks

    seasonal faves

    • Low-Carb Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (Keto, Gluten-Free)
    • Healthy Banana Cookies with Almond Flour (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)
    • Keto Coffee Cheesecake (Gluten-free, Sugar-free)
    • Low-Carb Cauliflower Soup with Roasted Garlic (Keto, Gluten-Free)
    • Roasted Cabbage Sausage Soup
    • Easy Keto Meatloaf Recipe without Bread Crumbs
    • Keto Stuffed Mushrooms with Sausage and Sage (Dairy Optional)
    • Pan-Seared Halibut with Brown Butter

    sweet treats

    • Keto French Silk Pie (Gluten Free, Dairy Optional)
    • Keto Almond Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free, Low-Carb)
    • Keto Crème Brûlée (Sugar Free)
    • Keto Basque Burnt Cheesecake (Gluten-Free, Sugar Free)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Our story
    • Privacy policy
    • Disclosure

    Connect

    • Subscribe to receive recipes to your inbox!

    Work with me

    • Contact
    • Services

    Copyright © 2021 STEM AND SPOON