5 Minute Delicious Vegan Pesto Recipe
Bonus - how I make it high protein in one simple step
Prep time 5 minutes | Total Time 10 minutes
The Absolute BEST Vegan Pesto Recipe
Vegan Pesto with a Protein Twist
The vibrant flavors of this delicious and easy vegan pesto recipe will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Prepared using a handful of simple ingredients, this pesto will make it easy to make a restaurant quality dish in only a few short minutes. For a protein-packed variation, I will show you how to serve this my favorite way by adding in tofu to elevate the nutritional value. Even professed tofu haters will enjoy this variation.
Ingredients
3 cups basil loosely packed
3/4 cup parsley
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese (see my recipe, use store bought, or just replace with nutritional yeast)
6-8 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons plant based butter
Optional Ingredients - for Pesto Pasta with Tofu
Bowtie pasta - 4 cups cooked (approximately)
1/2 block of firm tofu
3 Tablespoons - 1/4 cup of pesto (the recipe posted above)
Cherry tomatoes for garnish
Instructions
1. Place all of your ingredients (see below) into a food processor:
3 cups basil loosely packed
1 & 1/2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 cup parsley
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese (see my recipe, use store bought, or just replace with nutritional yeast)
6-8 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons plant based butter
2. Use the pulse function about 15 times until a paste begins to form.
3. Scrape down the sides of the food processor to combine the pesto mixture
4. Turn your food processor on the blend/on function and process for 1-2 minutes until the pesto is a nice smooth paste - scraping down the sides as needed.
5. Serve over pasta, rice, vegan chicken, potatoes anything really OR check out my favorite way to eat pesto pasta below.
My Favorite way to serve this vegan pesto
Make 4 cups of bowtie pasta according to directions
Drain 1/2 of a block of firm tofu
With your hands squeeze the excess water from the tofu and put into a separate bowl
Mix about 1/4 cup of your pesto with this tofu - mix very well. Taste and add more salt to taste.
Mix pesto/tofu mixture with bowtie pasta- mix very well
Top with cherry tomatoes sliced in 1/2 and vegan parmesan and enjoy!
Notes and Adjustments!
Pesto can be served on anything! Try it on pasta, rice, vegan chicken, or potatoes. Another one of my favorite ways to serve this is to make a plate of rice and vegan chicken strips and then mix the pesto in well. This is a great dish that even kids will enjoy.
