A simple homemade dairy free pesto recipe with classic ingredients perfect for pasta, grilled or roasted vegetables, pizza, and so much more. This Easy Vegan Parsley Pesto can be made with only 5 ingredients in only 5 minutes. Best yet, it’s bright, fresh, and incredibly versatile!
Quick & Easy Pesto
Do you have an abundance of parsley and don’t know what to use it for? Try this simple pesto recipe! It has a bright taste with a touch of pepper. In other words, you will never look at parsley as just for garnish again!
Although we have made countless vegan pesto recipes, like our Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, a Spring Vegan Green Garlic Pesto, or even a fun Biquinho Pepper Pesto, we can never enjoy enough pesto!
However, the best thing about this parsley pesto is an old classic standby. No need to scour for hard to find ingredients. It’s simplicity at its finest with a delicious result.
Plus, this easy vegan parsley pesto takes only 5 minutes or less to make. It also tastes spectacular on pasta, bread, or drizzled over this Vegan Fresh Mozzarella recipe. In other words, you can’t go wrong with this simple and versatile pesto!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- Parsley – This classic herb is clean, bright, and earthy. It provides a peppery flavor that words wonderfully in this quick and easy pesto.
- Pine Nuts – The pine nuts are toasted first to bring out a more robust flavor. Pine nuts are the traditional choice but they are pricey. They can also be substituted with walnuts, pecans, or almonds if desired. Just be sure to toast whatever nut you use!
- Garlic – Flavor! This is a garlicky pesto. You can always reduce the number of cloves used if you prefer a milder flavor profile.
- Nutritional Yeast – Here is the cheesy flavor in your cheeseless pesto. The nooch also provides necessary salt.
- Olive Oil – Oil is the key ingredient in pesto. Be sure that you like the taste of the olive oil that you plan to use on its own before committing. (It can be sampled with a piece of bread and just a little salt and pepper first if you are unsure.)
FAQ & Vegan Parsley Pesto Tips:
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Is there a way to reduce the amount of oil used?
- Yes. Although traditionally pesto has a great deal of oil, it can be reduced for a lighter pesto with a thicker consistency. Just be sure to cover the top of your pesto with extra oil to prevent air from entering and oxidizing it which will turn your pesto brown.
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Can you freeze pesto?
- Yup! It can either be frozen in small cubes in an ice cube tray or in small containers for up to 6 months.
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Does this recipe work with both flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley) and curly parsley?
- Absolutely. The parsley leaves are ground up so small for pesto that you won’t know the difference.
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After washing, dry the parsley.
- Drying the leaves well with either a salad spinner or a kitchen towel will ensure that your pesto is rich and not watery.
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Add the oil slowly.
- Not only will this help to reduce the amount of oil used but it will also allow the pesto to mix more thoroughly so your pesto is deliciously chunky and not too smooth.
Easy Vegan Parsley Pesto
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 0 min.
- Total Time: 5 min.
- Yield: 1 1/2 Cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A simple vegan pesto that can be made with only 5 ingredients in 5 minutes time. This easy parsley recipe is perfect for dairy free pasta, bruschetta, and so much more!
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Pine Nuts (Toasted)
- 2 Cups (packed) Fresh Italian Parsley (Stems removed)
- 1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast
- 4 Cloves Garlic (Peeled)
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (+ extra)
Instructions
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts. Stir frequently until they are golden brown and fragrant. Approximately 2 minutes.
- Wash and remove the stems from the parsley. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner or with a kitchen towel.
- Place all of the prepared ingredients, except the olive oil, into a food processor.
- Run the food processor on low and slowly pour in the olive oil until your desired consistency is achieved.
- Remove and use immediately or put in a storage container and drizzle extra olive oil on the top of the pesto. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Use on pasta, grilled or roasted vegetables, pizza, salads, or more.
- The pesto can be refrigerated for about a week or it can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Equipment
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Keywords: pesto, parsley, vegan, sauce, easy
Finally, if you make this recipe, we would love to hear what you think. Please comment down below and be sure to rate the recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks so much!
