Vegan Spinach Pesto (Nut-free)

What to expect from this recipe?

The original Italian pesto (also called “pesto alla Genovese“) is made of pine nuts, basil leaves, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, and a bit of salt. Traditionally, all ingredients are crushed in a mortar and mixed with olive oil. This is the base of all pesto variations, including spinach pesto.

This vegan spinach pesto is a flavorful and unique twist on the traditional pesto. The absence of nuts in the recipe means that the pesto will have a slightly different texture. It will be softer and more delicate but still flavorful and rich.

Spinach leaves bring an earthy and fresh taste with slightly bitter notes. They are paired with olive oil and garlic to give them a balanced and light taste. At the same time, nutritional yeast and sunflower seeds will add a nutty flavor. You can expect a vibrant, fresh, and well-balanced taste that’s creamy, savory, and satisfying.

Ingredients

You need the following 7 ingredients and a food processor to make a delicious vegan spinach pesto in no time.

• Fresh basil leaves → You cannot make pesto with dried herbs.
• Fresh spinach leaves → Kale, arugula (rocket salad), watercress, and collard greens are quite similar to spinach. The flavor profile will be slightly different if you choose other substitutions.
• Fresh garlic clove → When making pesto, fresh ingredients like garlic will give you a stronger flavor and better texture than dried alternatives like garlic powder or granules.
• Nutritional yeast → instead of Parmesan cheese
• Sunflower seeds → instead of pine nuts
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

I see lemon juice as an ingredient in some vegan pesto recipes. We don’t think you need it, though. Neither do the people in Italy, since the traditional pesto recipe doesn’t have it either.

Do you want to try it with a mortar?

1. Start by crushing the garlic and the sunflower seeds to a creamy consistency.
2. Add the nutritional yeast and the salt and mix thoroughly.
3. Add the spinach and basil leaves little by little. As well as olive oil. You should alternate between the leaves and the oil.
4. Crush them as hard as you can. It may take a while to get them to a chunky consistency.

Cooking tips

• Wash and dry the fresh leaves. Use a paper towel or a clean kitchen cloth to dry the fresh basil and spinach leaves after washing. Too much moisture will likely affect the texture of the pesto.
• Chopping makes it easier. If you are making a smaller batch, and you were to use an immersion blender, it is best to chop the ingredients roughly to make blending easier.

Variations

• Spicy: Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it fiery.
• Nutmeg: Garlic is not the only flavor that pairs well with spinach. We love using nutmeg as it has a warm and sweet flavor that pairs well with spinach. Nutmeg can add depth of flavor to spinach dishes, like in our vegan spinach soup.
• Lemon: While lemon is usually not part of pesto, but spinach’s slightly bitter flavor is balanced well by the sharp tang of lemon.

Serving ideas

Think of anything Italian, and then think outside of this box. We have a couple of ideas for you to start with:

• PASTA → Start with this vegan pesto pasta recipe (see the below picture). Traditionally, Italians use mandilli de sæa (“silk handkerchiefs”), trofie, or trenette, but any pasta would be perfect. Or add an extra layer of flavor to this asparagus lemon pepper pasta.
• GNOCCHI → How about serving it with our homemade vegan sweet potato gnocchi? I’ll tell you that it will be delicious.
• LASAGNA → You can add a unique twist to this simple vegan lentil lasagna with pesto. Or try our vegan cabbage lasagna recipe, where you can substitute spinach alfredo with this spinach pesto.
• PIZZA → Skip pizza sauce and use pesto to make this Mediterranean pizza.
• RISOTTO → What’s not to love in vegan risotto, especially with some spinach pesto for additional yumminess.
• MARINADE → You can use it as a marinade for grilled vegetable kabobs, vegan cauliflower steak, or tofu steak. Pesto would be perfect to add to roasted asparagus and mushrooms, or roasted cauliflower.
• SANDWICH → Add it to a grilled cheese sandwich or bruschetta. I would totally try it with vegan egg salad sandwich. Skip the cream cheese and turn these veggie pinwheels into a pesto one.
• SALAD → Drizzle it on top of your favorite salad. Pesto goes well with everything.
• SOUP → It can be a garnish or topping for any creamy vegan soup. We especially love it with this Hokkaido pumpkin soup or with this vegan cauliflower soup. Don’t forget vegan minestrone soup! So delicious with it.

Let us know in the comments what is your favorite dish with pesto!