Dairy Free Pesto

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DAIRY FREE PESTO made with low oil and salt. Walnuts and pine nuts make this pesto rich and creamy and nutritional yeast replaces parmesan cheese to keep this recipe dairy free. I use low oil (only 2 tbsp) to give the pesto a silky texture without adding lots of extra calories. You can omit the oil completely if you prefer but I find it helps the finished pasta recipe not be too dry. Miso paste gives this pesto recipe a nice zing and is an alternative to table salt.

Ingredients  

• fresh basil
• walnuts (see notes for nut free option)
• pine nuts
• nutritional yeast
• miso paste
• good quality olive oil
• lemon
• additional salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions 

• Add all ingredients to a food processor and process till smooth. Add in a splash of water if needed to get your desired thickness. I prefer to use a food processor over a blender when making pesto because I like some texture in mine so its not completely smooth.

For my PESTO PASTA SALAD RECIPE mix together the following ingredients:

• 1 full dairy free pesto recipe
• 12 oz your favorite pasta- I prefer chickpea or lentil pasta because they are higher in protein and fiber
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olives sliced
• leafy greens of your choice- kale, arugula or romaine are my favorites
• steamed or roasted broccoli
• other optional add ons- chickpeas, crumbled cheese of your choice or cooked protein of your choice
• STEPS- combine everything together in a large mixing bowl and toss together to coat in the pesto sauce. Serve right away or store in the fridge up to 3 days for an easy and nutritious meal prep recipe.