Vegan Avocado Pesto

This is such a delicious pesto recipe. It's rich and flavorful with the avocado and basil and bright and surprisingly cheesy with the lemon juice. I opted to make this recipe with pumpkin seeds, which are flavorful and full of nutrients instead of pine nuts, which are also so expensive. Using seeds instead of nuts is a nice tip because you still get a very similar level of creaminess when you puree seeds as you do nuts. And if you happen to have someone with a nut allergy, seeds are a very nice and often, less expensive alternative.

The recipe is super easy. You put everything into a food processor and puree. I will say that because it functions as both a spread/dip and sauce, you may find yourself needing to add a bit more salt or lemon juice if you are putting it on top of plain pasta. For me, I love lemon juice. I think it makes the rest of the flavors in the recipe pop. It always tastes light and bright and I love it with salads, sandwiches and pastas.

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Vegan Avocado Pesto

Avocado Pesto Recipe

(Serves 6-8)

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, more if needed
  • 1/4 cup water
  • olive oil to top

Directions

  1. Using a food processor, blend all of the ingredients until smooth, or desired consistency. If necessary, add a bit more water to aid food processor.
  2. For storing, pour pesto into a jar, tap out the excess air, and top off with olive oil. Pesto can be stored for several days in the refrigerator or frozen.

Copyright © 2021 - Christina Ng