Avocado Pesto – Made Oil-Free and Great to Spread
Not All Pesto Is Vegan, But This One Is!
For the longest time I had no idea that pesto wasn’t vegan. Maybe I just never checked, but I would have never guessed that cheese was an ingredient in pesto. I have found vegan pesto in grocery stores, but it is not cheap! Also, I find that the pesto tends to be extra oily and I am not a fan of overly oily foods. For these reasons, I decided to create my own oil-free vegan pesto!
Why Avocado?
As you could guess, one of the key ingredients to pesto is oil. Personally, I try to minimize the amount of oil I use in most of my recipes. I do this because when I consume too much oil it negatively affects my skin.
This is where avocado comes into play with this recipe; I simply replaced oil with avocado in this recipe! Avocado is a perfect example of a healthy fat. I love this substitution because it makes the pesto creamier, easier to spread, and who doesn’t love avocado?!
No Blender? No problem!
This recipe is incredibly fast and easy to make because you simply just need to throw everything into a blender or food processor and done. If you don’t have access to one, then you can simply finely chop all the ingredients up and smash the avocados by hand.
Enjoy!
I hope this perfect bowl of magic brings you joy, warmth, comfort, and all the cozy vibes as you ENJOY it! You can rejoice in the knowledge that you are eating a healthy, oil-free vegan pesto!
TIPS & TRICKS
- The addition of lemon juice helps to preserve the avocado in the pesto.
- Feel free to add more salt or garlic to match your preference!
THE MORE YOU KNOW
Genovese Basil
Genovese basil is the essential Italian basil and can be found at most grocery stores. You can use most basils that you can find in the grocery store. It is very different from Asian basil so make sure to avoid that type of basil!
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional Yeast (Nooch) provides a nutty flavor that many associate with a cheesy flavor profile. Great source of B12 and can be found in most grocery stores in the condiments section.
THANKS FOR READING
Thank you Nutti’s for taking the time to read this post and I truly hope you enjoy this Avocado Pesto! If you make this recipe, please let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Feel free to pin this recipe to Pinterest if you liked it! I always love to see what recipes you enjoy. Also, you can follow me on Pinterest for more recipes, just click the link below my bio or search for Nutti Nelli!
If you post a picture of this recipe on Instagram, be sure to tag me @nuttinelli and use #nuttinelli so I can see your creation!
Mahalo!
Janelle
Avocado Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Small Avocado
- 1 cup Fresh Genovese Basil chopped
- ¼ cup Pine Nuts
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves optional
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ Lemon juiced
Instructions
- Throw everything into your food processor or blender and blend until smooth!