Fresh Vegan Pesto – You’ll Never Miss the Cheese

I was lucky to have a good basil growing season this year and decided it was time to play in the kitchen to create a vegan version of pesto.   The beauty of this recipe is that you can make a big batch and freeze it in small containers to enjoy long after the summer is over.

Ingredients:

4 cups Fresh Basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs nutritional yeast extract (available in health food stores – gives the pesto a cheesy flavor)
1 cup walnuts
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp or small clove of garlic, chopped (add more if you like)

Place all ingredients into a food processor.

Blend until all ingredients are finely mixed.

Place into containers and freeze or refrigerate until you’re ready to use.  Try it on gluten free pasta, brown rice, roasted vegetables or mixed with a little balsamic vinegar for a quick salad dressing.