Using just half a dozen ingredients, my 5-minute vegan cashew pesto is so simple to make, and fantastic on pasta, baked potatoes, crostini, or even as a dip for chips and nibbles!
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Pesto is something I make so often, that until recently, it never occurred to me to blog it. However, since my friends and family keep asking me for my recipe, I thought it high time I did something about it.
This is my main vegan pesto recipe but I have many, many variations (and they almost always happen on the fly!).
Pesto Alla Genovese
Pesto, originally hailing from Genova in Northern Italy, owes its name to the Genovese dialect word, pestâ, which simply means 'to pound', and is simply a generic term for anything which is pounded in a mortar, using a pestle.
Recognise the similar word there? Pestâ - pestle - pesto.
Naming a food after its preparation method is something I found a lot when we lived in Thailand - for example, som tam, which simply means 'sour pounded', or tom yam... which means 'boiled salad'!
Pesto history
Pesto, in its earliest form, dates back to the ancient Romans, who, like their later northern counterparts, simply named it moretum, after its method of preparation in a mortarium (mortar). Contemporary writings tell us that this Roman pesto consisted of garlic, herbs, cheese, salt, vinegar, and of course, olive oil.
Fast-forward a few centuries, and we know from extant documents that during the middle ages, in Genova, people were making it with garlic and walnuts. Basil is not mentioned by name , however, until 1863, in Giovanni Battista Ratto's cookbook, La Cuciniera Genovese:
Take a clove of garlic, basil or, when that is lacking, marjoram and parsley, grated Dutch and Parmigiano cheese and mix them with pine nuts and crush it all together in a mortar with a little butter until reduced to a paste. Then dissolve it with good and abundant oil. Lasagne and Trofie are dressed with this mash, made more liquid by adding a little hot water without salt.
(Obviously, this is a translation!)
Is pesto vegan?
Sadly not. At least, not traditional pesto because along with basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil, it contains Pecorino, which, being made with rennet, is not even vegetarian, let alone vegan.
For a long time, when I made my own, I would simply omit the cheese, and add extra pine nuts and oil. Sometimes I'd add sun-dried tomatoes, olives, or spinach.
I still add these things from time to time but it wasn't until I was living in India in 2013, and learned about cashew cream, that my vegan pesto really came into its own.
Vegan pesto with cashews
One day, when Usha and I were chatting while cooking together, she told me that she loves to make Italian food, and it suddenly occurred to me that cashew cream in pesto could work really well.
A few months later, when I was visiting Europe - and had access to Mediterranean basil - I experimented, and yes, it totally worked!
Using cashew cream not only gives the pesto a rich and creamy texture, it also means I need less oil and fewer pine nuts, which of course, means fewer calories. Huzzah!
Are pine nuts necessary for pesto?
In fact, given how expensive they are to buy, unless I'm making pesto for a special occasion, and really want to push the boat out, I just don't bother with pine nuts these days. The kernels of sunflower seeds make a good pine nut substitute though, and I've been using them a fair bit lately.
My vegan cashew pesto is delicious and satisfying, nutritious, and easy to make - and no animals have suffered to make it. In my book, that's a clear win. Of course it doesn't taste exactly the same as pesto alla Genovese... but it does taste like Heaven!
Vegan pesto ingredients
You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make this vegan pesto...
- raw cashews
- hot water
- fresh basil
- nutritional yeast flakes
- roasted garlic
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- Optional: salt and sunflower seeds
How to make pesto
It really couldn't be simpler to make this vegan pesto... and it involves no pounding with a mortar and pestle at all. Unless you want to, of course!
- Place the cashews into a blender or food processor, and blitz until you have a fine meal.
- Add the water, a little at a time, and continue to process until the cashews form a thick cream.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and blitz again for 30-60 seconds, until you have a coarse paste.
- Serve with your favourite pasta, on top of baked potatoes, on pizza, or anywhere you'd usually use pesto.
- For added decadence, sprinkle over a couple of spoonfuls of my vegan parmesan.
Pesto-making tips
- For variation, add a few sun-dried tomatoes or black olives.
- If you fancy a change from basil, peas work really well too, and if you're using frozen ones, you don't even need to cook them first, just defrost, and then blitz with the rest of the ingredients.
- Similarly, a few handfuls of baby spinach or rocket make great basil alternatives.
- If you have a high-speed blender, you don't need to soak the cashews first.
- Store any leftovers in the 'fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
- This vegan pesto can be frozen for up to three months.
What can I use pesto for?
Oh gosh, so many things! My vegan pesto is perfect on pasta, great on gnocchi, and brilliant on baked potatoes. You can spread it on crostini, over pizza instead of tomato sauce, use it as a dip, or in a grilled cheese sandwich. If you thin it out a bit, either with water or olive oil, you can even use it as a salad dressing. It really is that versatile!
Whatever you have yours with, I know you're going to love it! Buon appetito!
📖 Recipe
5-Minute Vegan Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
- 150 g raw cashews soaked for at least four hours, or boiled for 15 minutes, then drained
- 10 tablespoon hot water approximately
- 120 g fresh basil (leaves and stems)
- 50 g nutritional yeast flakes
- 6 cloves roasted garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional
- Dash salt
- 2 tablespoon sunflower seeds to add a bit of texture
Instructions
- Place the cashews into a blender or food processor, and blitz until you have a fine meal.
- Add the water, a little at a time, and continue to process until the cashews form a thick cream.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and blitz again for 30-60 seconds, until you have a coarse paste.
- Serve with your favourite pasta, on top of baked potatoes, on pizza, or anywhere you'd usually use pesto.
- For added decadence, sprinkle over a couple of spoonfuls of my vegan parmesan.
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Hannah
Love this recipe and it’s so easy! I actually used carrot tops instead of basil because I didn’t want them to go to waste and the flavor is really fresh and bright. My second batch had some basil thrown in too. Definitely experiment with different types of greens and combos!
Nico
That's such a good idea, Hannah - I've never actually made carrot top pesto before but it's something I've been meaning to try for ages. You have spurred me on, thank you! xx
Simone - ithappenstobevegan.com
Yummy pesto! I use a stick blender food processor so it's not super powerful but did the trick, maybe just a little more texture than otherwise. I soaked my cashews in boiling water for half an hour prior. Thanks for the recipe!
Nico
Excellent Simone, I'm really happy you enjoyed it! xx
Carole Finn
This is by far the best pesto I have ever had, I love regular pesto but Parmesan is not good for me so I was looking for a non dairy option! I honestly did not expect to be so impressed with it! So thank you so much for sharing, I will be sharing along with your hashtag too!
Nico
Brilliant! I am thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Carole - thank you for letting me know! xx
Louise
This pesto is delicious! How long does it last?
Nico
Glad you like it, Louise! You can keep it for 2-3 days in the fridge, or three months in the freezer. xx
Heidi
I love Love LOVE this recipe but I can't find nutritional Yeast since COVID struck, can you replace or omit it?
Nico
Oh, that's a pain in the neck, isn't it, Heidi? So sorry you're having difficulty getting hold of any. Have you tried online? Maybe iherb.com? In the meantime, if you can get yeast extract (Marmite, Vegemite, etc), you could try 2-3 tsp (or to taste). It will probably make the pesto more brown than green but it'll taste great! Let me know how you get on! xx
Mel
Great recipe, love it!
I sometimes add a zucchini or an avocado too 🙂
Nico
I've made avo pesto before - so delicious and creamy - but never a courgette. Thanks for the tip, Mel! xx
Craig
Do you think this would be good if I added some mint leaves as well? We just trimmed back our mint and basil and I am wanting to make a pesto with them, but I don't have any pine nuts but I do have cashews.
Nico
Hi Craig! I wouldn't - it would completely change the flavour of the pesto, and I'm not sure it would be in a good way. That said, this is just my personal taste, so why not try it, and see how it turns out? Maybe make a smaller amount, just to experiment. Do let me know how you get on! xx
Renee
OMG! This is my new, absolute, favorite pasta recipe! I may have used a little less basil (didn't want to cut too much off my plant) and did not have lemon, but tasted so amazing anyway! Came out creamy, and cheesy-like decadent! I did not want to boil my cashews, so I just poured boiling water over them, covered them and soaked them for about an hour. Thank you Nico for sharing!
Nico
Oh, you really are so very welcome, Renee - I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it so much, thank you for for letting me know how it turned out for you! xx
Brandy
120 grams of basil?? That much?? I ruined a new indoor basil plant to just get 16 grams according to my scale (took off all the leaves). Hoping it will still turn out okay somehow... Are you getting basil from those tiny packages at the supermarket? Do you buy it in bulk somewhere??
Nico
I do have access to a shop that sells it in large bunches, and I also grow it myself during the summer; however, four small packs from the supermarket is 120g, and in some you can buy larger packs. Also, you can use the stems too! xx
Ang
Really want to make this can I ask why do you have to soak the cashews please??
Nico
To soften them. If you have a high speed blender, you don't have to do this but if you don't, or are using a food processor, the cashews will be too hard if you don't soak them first! xx
Akil
Trying this. Love the cashew cream twist. The recipe could have done with step-by-step pictorial representation. For instance how many bunches (approx) is 120g of basil. And what does fine meal cashew paste look like.
Thanks
Nico
The reason I give the weight is because how much is a bunch? I have absolutely no way of knowing what size bunches of basil are available in other countries. When I lived in Italy, a bunch was huge - easily 100g. In Thailand, the same (although different basil). In Britain, bunches tend to be tiny - about 30g, so it would be completely pointless to say X number of bunches... because a bunch is not a measurement, and is therefore asking for trouble!
Nowhere do I mention cashew paste, I say to process the cashews until you get a fine meal - i.e. finely-chopped cashews! If you like a coarser pesto, or if you have a high speed blender, you can skip that part, and just add everything at the same time, and process until you get the consistency you like. 🙂 xx
Andrea
I freeze pesto every summer because I usually have a bumper crop of basil! I put it in a ziplock bag and smooth it out flat. Then when I need some pesto for a recipe I just break off some and voila. I let it thaw out first and it’s always delicious
Nico
Ooh, that's really good to know - thanks for sharing Andrea! xx
Sara
I just made this for the first time. Unfortunately the colour is very pale green, I even added more basil than stated in the recipe and then some baby spinach to try to make it greener. I probably blitzed it too much, consistency is veeery smooth. The colour and consistency is like avocado smoothie. The flavour is divine though. Next time I'll start with less cashews. I ended up with nearly a litre of pesto, and I didn't even add all the water ?
Nico
Hi Sara! I have no idea why yours came out pale green; I've made this a gazillion times, and it's always been vibrant! I'm sorry to hear you ended up with a pesto smoothie - were you able to still use it? How on earth did you end up with twice the amount of pesto? LOLOL! xx
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Love this recipe Nico - it sounds delicious! And those photos have had me practically licking my computer screen 😀 Thanks for the little history lesson too - I find the history of food so interesting! Eb x
Nico
Oh, I do too, Eb - I spend far more time finding out about food and its history than I do actually cooking it! Ha ha! xx
Corina Blum
This sounds delicious! I'll have to try your recipe as I have used cashews in pesto and love the sound of the cashew cream. It's such a beautiful vibrant colour too! Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice
Nico
Cashew cream is a permanent fixture in my fridge, Corina - I use it for so much! xx
Monika Dabrowski
Love this pesto with its thick consistency and so much roasted garlic! Roasted garlic is amazing though I rarely make it because I forget! Thank you for bringing this lovely recipe idea to #CookBlogShare:)
Nico
I know what you mean, Monika - I try to make a point of roasting a few heads as soon as I get them unpacked from my shopping (or else I'll forget) but it doesn't always happen that way. Trouble is, I always have to make more because I have a habit of just squeezing out the odd clove or two, whenever I go into the kitchen. I love roast garlic so much - it's like candy for me! xx
Irma
How many servings does this make?
Nico
Hi Irma!
To be honest, I've deliberately not given specific serving sizes because I have absolutely no way of knowing how much people like to use, nor to what purpose this pesto will be put, hence giving the nutritional value per 100g.
When I have it on a baked potato, for example, I use a heaped tablespoonful or so, which is around 30g. On a large pizza for four, 3-5 tbsp. In a panino, a heaped teaspoon. For spaghetti for two people, I use c.100g-120g of pesto to about 150g dry pasta.
Does that help? I'm sorry I can't be more precise but I have no idea of your personal taste! xx
Christine
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Nico
It'll keep for around three days in an airtight container in the 'fridge, Christine. xx
Monika Dabrowski
I absolutely love this pesto recipe, the combination of nuts and garlic and the fresh basil sounds so appealing! Lovely photos too:)
Nico
Thank you, Monika - it's one of my favourite pasta sauces... and I love that it's so quick and easy to make too. Just the thing when you work long hours, as I do!
Holly
Do you have a version that lists all the ingredients in volume instead of weight?
Nico
I don't Holly because using cups is not a reliable method of measurement. You may find this tool useful: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions/grams/grams-to-cups-conversions