Versatile Dairy-Free and Vegan Pesto

Alisa Fleming ~ Vegan pesto is a flavor gem for dairy-free diets, and can fit into almost any free-from dietary need, from gluten-free to Paleo. Though many varieties of pesto contain Parmesan, some store-bought brands are actually cheese-free, and you can easily make your own non-dairy vegan pesto at home.

It surprises many people to know that Parmesan isn’t actually a key ingredient in pesto. In reality, basil and good quality olive oil are the foundation of a top-notch pesto, the rest are simply flavor agents to customize the sauce to your personal tastes.

The recipe below is a wonderful, basic dairy-free and vegan pesto that you can customize to fit your mood and meal. Here are some ideas for variations on this simple recipe:

• Different nuts offer different flavor profiles; walnuts are particularly nice in vegan pesto, but you can use any nut you like in place of the pine nuts to shake things up a little.
• For nut-free, I adore sunflower seeds in vegan pesto. Simply replace the pine nuts with an equivalent amount of sunflower seeds.
• Add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the mix, either before blending or stirred in after for a chunky-style sauce.
• If you desire a bit of that Parmesan tang, add a twist of lemon to taste. You can also increase the salt for more intensity if desired.
• For a deeper cheesy vibe, add some nutritional yeast before blending. Start with a small amount (nutritional yeast can easily overpower), like 1 teaspoon, and add more to taste for a more pungent flavor.
• Swap half of the basil for another herb – mint leaves are actually an amazing flavor pairing with basil.

Tagged egg--free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, peanut-free, soy-free, sugar-free, summer, vegan, vegetarian