Who doesn’t know pesto, right? I mean, even if you haven’t tried it in your life, I’m sure you know that its main ingredient is one of the most delicious herbs in the world – basil. Unfortunately, apart from the fact how easy it is to prepare pesto at home, many people still tend to buy it in a food store. Maybe it’s because it’s not that easy to find fresh basil in every food store. Or maybe because the pine nuts usually are very expensive. Or maybe, if you are vegan, you know that the original pesto recipe includes cheese. So it’s not suitable for you. No matter what’s the reason why people buy processed pesto, I have a great recipe for homemade pesto that tastes very much like the original one. This vegan spinach pesto is easy to make and requires cheaper ingredients than the original recipe.
Pesto’s place of origin is Italy. To be more precise – Genoa. So, as a resident in Italy, it would be a shame to exclude this delicious dish from my daily menu. You might doubt if the flavor of the vegan version is really that similar to the original pesto. Well, nowadays there’s this fantastic product called “nutritional yeast”. And its flavor really resembles cheese. So it can be very useful in many different recipes where you want to add that cheesy flavor. But don’t get scared by this possibly unknown product for you. In this recipe the nutritional yeast is optional. If you’ll decide to use it, the flavor of your vegan spinach pesto will be very similar to the original pesto alla genovese. But, if you’ll decide to skip it, you’ll still have a very delicious pesto. Its flavor simply will be more refreshing than cheesy.
Vegan spinach pesto – nutritional value
Even though the name of my pesto could make you think that it’s made just from spinach, it is not true. My vegan spinach pesto includes also a small amount of fresh basil. Because a pesto without basil is not pesto, right? Besides that, basil is rich in vitamins A, C and K, and minerals – magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. Also fresh spinach, the base of this pesto, contain many valuable nutrients. Like vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, K and minerals – manganese, magnesium, calcium and iron. Speaking of iron, spinach is a well-known source of it. But you should know that iron is better absorbed in our body when consumed together with vitamin C. And in this recipe it is like that, since my vegan spinach pesto includes also fresh lime juice. So, with this pesto you have all the possibilities to nourish your body with great nutrients.
You can use this pesto in many different ways. For example, use it to make a delicious pasta dish or spread it over a slice of bread. Or even use it as a dip for snacks, like breadsticks or crackers. In short – let your fantasy guide you! One thing is clear though – no matter how you’ll use this pesto, your taste buds will be satisfied. Just like Specky’s, when it comes about basil. Even though he gets this wonderful herb with moderation, when he does, every bite of it for him is worth more than thousand carrots!
This vegan spinach pesto can be stored in fridge for up to 3 days. To prepare it you can use mortar and pestle or a high-speed blender like I did. In case you still have any doubts, let me help you get rid of them by reminding you that this spinach pesto is:
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rich in valuable nutrients
- healthy
- nutty
- aromatic
- creamy
- refreshing
- easy to make
- savory
- and simply yummy!
Let me know, if you try this recipe! Leave a comment or even more – make Specky happy! Snap a picture of your masterpiece and post it on Instagram or Facebook by tagging @bunnymommycooks. And feel free to let your animal family members join in the picture!
| Prep Time | 5 min |
| Servings |
*(check notes)
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- 100 g of fresh spinach leaves without stems
- 10 g of fresh basil leaves
- 75 g of walnuts without shell
- 3 cloves of garlic (~8 g)
- juice from 1 small lime (weight of lime: ~70 g)
- pinch of salt (adapt the amount of salt to your taste)
- up to 5 tablespoons of water (or more, if desired/necessary)
- up to 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (or more, if desired/necessary)
- 20 g of nutritional yeast (optional)
Ingredients
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- put spinach, basil, walnuts, garlic and salt in the food processor, add lime juice and blend until all ingredients have turned into small chunks. If necessary, from time to time scrape down the sides of the container with a spoon to obtain an even texture of the pesto;
- most probably the obtained mixture will be too thick, so, while you keep blending the ingredients, add gradually one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of olive oil and continue to do so until the desired consistency is reached. If necessary, add extra salt;
- if using nutritional yeast, at the end add it to the obtained mixture and pulse it a few times to incorporate it well into the pesto.
* the amount of pesto is enough for 2 portions of pasta (100 g each)
Waw Im going to try to make pesto for the first time thanks so much .
Tandi
Hey, Tandi!
I hope you liked it just as much as I do! 🙂