If not eating immediately, or have extra pesto leftover, store the pesto sauce in a jar or airtight container (but makes sure to drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on top before covering to prevent the sauce from oxidizing. The homemade pesto will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

5-Minute Basil Walnut Pesto (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Name: 5-Minute Basil Walnut Peso (Gluten-free, Vegan)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Gluten-free
Ingredients: 3 cups fresh basil leaves; 1/2 cup walnuts; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons filtered water (or more as required); 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped; Salt and pepper to taste

Description

Delicious basil walnut pesto that can be prepared in just 5 minutes! This homemade pesto is perfect for tossing with the pasta of your choice, or zucchini noodles. Also great as a dipping sauce for crackers or breadsticks. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons filtered water (or more as required)
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine Ingredients: Combine basil leaves, walnuts, olive oil, water, and chopped garlic in the bowl of a high-speed blender.
Blend Until Creamy: Process the ingredients until you get a thick and creamy sauce. (If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add an additional tablespoon of water or olive oil at a time until it reaches your desired consistency).
Taste and Adjust Salt: Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Basil: Make sure to use fresh basil and not dried basil. Basil is a key ingredient in this pesto recipe, and it imparts a beautifully fragrant and fresh taste and aroma to the pesto. If you don’t have basil, you may use fresh arugula leaves, spinach leaves or baby kale as well (just note that the flavor profile will change according to the leaves you use).

Walnuts: Traditional pesto uses pine nuts, but I prefer using walnuts because I always have walnuts on hand. Alternatively, you may substitute the walnuts for pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts if you like.

Olive Oil: Since there are so few ingredients in this pesto, I highly recommend that you use the best quality extra virgin olive oil that you have. Good olive oil really brings this pesto to another level.

Garlic: I personally love garlic, and in my opinion pesto without garlic is just a green sauce. If you prefer to reduce the amount of garlic, you may use 1 large clove instead of 2. If you don’t like the taste of raw garlic, then feel free to leave it out completely.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Category: Sauces
Method: Blender
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Vegan, Paleo