Vegan Walnut Pesto with Arugula
Vegan walnut pesto with arugula is rich in flavor, creamy and versatile. You can make this simple recipe in under 10 minutes and it's perfect for when you can't access basil or pine nuts.
Servings: 8
Calories: 147kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 oz arugula approximately 4 cups
- 1 cup spinach tightly packed
- ½ cup walnuts dry toasted
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon capers drained
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 3 cloves garlic finely grated
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Toast walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Shake the pan to keep them from burning. It will take 2-3 for the oils to release, the aroma to intensify and the color to darken.
- Place arugula, spinach, toasted walnuts, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, capers, olive oil sea salt and white pepper in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
- Use a microplane grater to zest the lemon and grate the garlic directly over the processor bowl. Then squeeze the lemon onto the other ingredients.
- Process until everything is well incorporated. Scrape down sides, add up to ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, scraping down sides after each addition, until desired consistency is achieved.
- Sprinkle on some crushed red pepper for a little heat!
Notes
Nutritional information is based on one recipe making 2 cups of pesto and serving size of ¼ cup.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 809IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg