No-Oil Vegan Basil Pesto

By the Gracious Vegan

It was a great day about a year after I turned vegan when I found the secret to pesto without Parmesan cheese. It’s miso. That subtle nutty, umami flavor was at last achieved in my favorite pasta topper! I will be forever grateful to the Candle Café Cookbook for this discovery. I’ve tweaked their recipe over the years, including eliminating the oil, and now claim this as my own.

Two important notes about this recipe: 1) Pine nuts really help create the creamy texture, so use those if you possibly can. 2) Processing the pesto longer than you might with an oil recipe is important, because it helps the creaminess and texture.

Makes enough pesto for 3-4 servings of pasta

Place in a food processor and chop

• 2 garlic cloves

Add remaining ingredients and process until desired smoothness is achieved.

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed (about 4 ounces)

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, rinsed

• 1/4 cup pine nuts (raw or roasted), or walnuts in a pinch

• 1-3 Tablespoons water

• 2 Tablespoons tahini

• 1 Tablespoon white or mild yellow miso (What is Miso?)

• 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1/4 teaspoon salt or salt substitute (optional)

The pesto is ready to serve. It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or in the freezer. In both cases, it’s best to cover the pesto with a layer of plastic wrap or other wrap to prevent browning. This pesto turns brown quite quickly because of the absence of oil, but it still tastes delicious!

Timing: About 15 minutes

Gluten-free