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–+ servings
Vegan Roasted Cashew and Thai Basil Pesto – vegetarian recipe
Stav Kogan

Vegan Roasted Cashew and Thai Basil Pesto

A bold, modern twist on pesto that's completely vegan, featuring creamy roasted cashews and spicy Thai basil. This flavorful sauce comes together in under 10 minutes and is perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or grain bowls.
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Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 3 serving
Calories: 169
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup (30 g / 1.06 oz) Thai basil, packed
  • 2/3 cup (90 g / 3.17 oz) roasted cashews
  • 1/2 cup (30 g / 1.06 oz) nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp (1.5 g / 0.05 oz) salt
  • 1/2 tsp (1 g / 0.04 oz) black pepper
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
  • For a classic Italian pesto, swap Thai basil for Genovese basil, roasted cashews for toasted pine nuts, and reduce the garlic to 2 cloves.
  • To keep your pesto vibrantly green, briefly blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 15 seconds, then immediately plunge them into an ice bath before processing.
  • Store leftover pesto in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top surface to prevent browning for up to one week.
  • For a nut-free version, substitute the roasted cashews with an equal amount of roasted sunflower seeds or pepitas.

Method
 

  1. Combine the garlic, packed Thai basil, roasted cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper in the bowl of a food processor or a high-speed blender.
  2. Pulse the until they form a coarse, crumbly paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. With the processor or blender running on low, slowly stream in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth and emulsified to your desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 17gFat: 8g

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