An easy to make vegan pesto sauce that uses nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese!

Easy Vegan Pesto

I haven’t found a store bought pesto sauce that I love, so I make my own. I usually only do this in the summer time because I can’t resist the smell of the basil leaves at the Farmer’s Market!

If you haven’t found a store bought pesto that you love either, then I urge you to try this Spinach Basil Pesto Sauce. Traditionally, this sauce is made with Parmesan but you won’t even notice a difference without it. And adding the spinach makes it bright green. I can’t think of a better way to get your spinach in!

I learned about adding spinach to pesto sauce from my favorite little locally owned cafe. I once asked them if they would share their recipe. They couldn’t but said spinach is their secret ingredient! I scoured the Internet looking for a similar recipe and so far this is as close as I’ve come!

I will admit, I prefer to hide spinach. I think it’s best hidden in Chocolate Spinach Banana Muffins, a Peanut Butter Banana Spinach Smoothie, or these Hulk Spinach Banana Muffins! After trying these recipes you’ll have your family convinced spinach isn’t so bad!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
• 2 cups Packed Fresh Spinach Leaves
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 cup Pine Nuts
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 3/4 tsp Salt

How to Make Spinach Basil Pesto Sauce

• Combine 1 packed cup of fresh basil leaves, 2 packed cups of spinach leaves, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 3/4 tsp salt into a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

What is Nutritional Yeast?

In this recipe, nutritional yeast is used in place of the Parmesan cheese.

• Here are a few things you should know:
  • Nutritional yeast is a vegan alternative to cheese.
  • It has a cheesy, nutty, savory flavor and comes in the form of flakes or powder.
  • More grocery stores have it available now, but if you can’t find it look at your local natural food store.
  • You can keep the nutritional yeast in the air-tight packaging you purchased it in for a couple of years. It is commonly stored in your pantry.

More Vegan Recipes:

• 3-Ingredient Blueberry Jam without Pectin
• Easy Homemade Applesauce
• Raspberry Streusel Shortbread Bars
• Easy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cups

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Spinach Basil Pesto Sauce

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Spinach Basil Pesto Sauce, an easy to make vegan pesto sauce that uses nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
• 2 cups Packed Fresh Spinach Leaves
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 cup Pine Nuts
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 3/4 tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Combine basil leaves, spinach leaves, minced garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt into a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g

The nutrition facts were automated by the Nutritionix database. Because it's done by automation, it is best practice to double check for accuracy.