This easy vegan avocado basil pesto sauce with no cheese or oil is an alternative to traditional pesto. It's creamy, flavorful, and perfect to use in so many ways including with pastas, potatoes, salads and more.
Ingredients You'll Need
The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.
A large ripe avocado (roughly about 285g or 10 ounces).
Fresh basil leaves are the best in this recipe. I have a surplus of Italian basil and sweet basil in my garden which I sometimes like to combine together to make this sauce. Use your preferred basil leaves.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice will help brighten up the flavoring and give some acidity to this sauce, similar to this eggless mayonnaise.
Nutritional yeast is a vegan favorite for mimicking cheese flavoring. This ingredient can be found at your local supermarket, or health food store or purchased online here.
Pine nuts are synonymous with pesto sauce. It is the nutty component of this sauce, a little goes a long way.
Pro Tips
The ingredients within this recipe can be adjusted to suit your liking. Feel free to experiment with the quantities.
How to Make Vegan Avocado Basil Pesto Sauce
Blend the avocado and basil, along with all the other ingredients in a high-powered food processor until smooth and creamy.
You will need to scrap down the sides of the food processor with a spatula to ensure all the ingredients are blended well.
Adjust the sauce by doing a taste test. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave out the water. Serve with your favorite pasta (either hot or cold), salad, or use it as a delicious dip. See serving suggestions below.
Store any leftover sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Or in the freezer in a snaplock bag for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Toss this avocado pesto sauce with cooked pasta for a quick and easy meal. Try it as the dressing for this pasta salad with banana blossom or this vegan pesto pasta salad.
Drizzle over roasted vegetables for added flavor.
Spread in a sandwich try it with this tempeh sandwich.
FAQ
Yes, whilst I recommend nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavor of this recipe, you can substitute it with grated vegan Parmesan cheese if you prefer.
A blender can work, but a food processor is the best option for this recipe as it creates a creamier texture. You will need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to ensure all the ingredients have been blended.
Yes, you can use any type of nut you prefer, such as walnuts or cashews. Though do note that the flavor of this sauce will change.
More Vegan Sauces and Dressings
If you love avocados as much as I do, then you must try this oil free cilantro lime avocado dressing or this easy avocado crema. It can also be used in so many ways.
Other dressings to check out are my cashew ranch, this delicious vegan beet pasta sauce or my bbq flavored cashew ranch dressing.
Or here's a list of vegan salad dressing recipes to bookmark.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Recipe
Easy Vegan Avocado Basil Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large Avocado 285g before peeling and de-seeding
- ⅓ cup Nutritional yeast
- 1 cup Fresh basil leaves loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon Pine nuts heaping
- 2 tablespoons Water or to desired consistency
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, add all the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. About a minute.
- Adjust the dressing by doing a taste test. If you prefer to adjust the thickness of the sauce, minus or add a tablespoonful of water. See notes for serving suggestions.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
If you enjoyed this recipe, consider supporting my work for the cost of a cup of coffee.
Comments
No Comments