Vegan Cashew Pesto

Prep time 15 minutes

Total time 15 minutes 

This easy made pesto is the fantasy dressing for nearly all courses! What could be better knowing it consists of a variety of nuts and it also being vegan!! In other words, this taste enriched sauce is the key ingredient to enhance flavours in every single meal.

Throughout the middle ages in Italy authentic pesto was made with variations of nutritious nuts, even including walnuts, pistachio and pine nuts in some older recipes. Basil, garlic and olive oil were always accompanied with, giving a faded outline that nuts are the key tasty ingredient in a delicious appetising pesto!!

Effortlessly substituting different alterations of nuts into your pesto recipe, for example pine nuts with sunflower seeds, you get succulent and aromatic pesto each time.

Ingredients for the Vegan Cashew Pesto: 

Raw Cashews: This recipe uses a handful of cashews but could also be substituted with other types of nuts.

Walnuts: Why on earth not?! Unless your allergic, which in that case please stay away.

Fresh Basil: Fresh ingredients are more appetising, flavour-wise, and some fresh basil not only gives nutrition, but also a beautiful colour to our pesto.

Hot Water: the key to a creamier pesto (besides the olive oil), people also do use yoghurt at times.

Nutritional yeast flakes: Texture is as important as flavour, something that doesn’t sit right with our sensation will automatically be not as tempting to eat.

Roasted Garlic: Taste buds will explode with this enticing and tasty ingredient, a whole bunch will give the most succulent variations of flavour that will really bring this sauce together!

Olive Oil: It is an Italian dressing after all!

Lemon Juice: A delicious tang of sour will expand the flavourings sensed. 

Optional:

Pinch of Sea Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Sprinkle of Garlic Powder

Handful of Sunflower Seeds 

Now that we’ve put aside the ingredients needed let’s get to work.

Instructions:

  1. Grab a high-powered blender, or a pestle and mortar if you’re feeling authentic.
  2. Blend all the cashews and walnuts until you have replicated fine sand.
  3. Slowly add water into the food processor and continue to blitz until a thick paste like consistency is formed.
  4. Slowly incorporate the rest of the ingredients in the list until a coarse cream is all that is left in the blender.
  5. Blend for 45 to 60 seconds and then it is ready to serve!
  6. From pasta to pizza, baked potatoes, gnocchi, and salad: serve it with something tasty!!!

 Specific Nutritional:                                             Preparation Information:            

Makes: roughly 500g                                           Raw Cashews: 150g (boil for around 15 minutes)

Calories: 241 kcal (162kcal from fat)               Hot water: 10 tbsp

Carbs: 13g                                                              Fresh Basil: 120g

Fiber: 4g                                                                 Yeast Flakes: 50g

Sugar: 2g                                                                Roasted Garlic: 6 cloves

Protein: 10g                                                          Olive Oil: 2tbsp

Fat: 18g                                                                  Lime Juice: 2tbsp