Pesto without Cheese | Easy Dairy Free Recipe

An easy, healthy condiment to whip up, this pesto without cheese can add flavor to pasta, meat, veggies, salads and much more!

Pesto takes no time at all to make and can add delicious flavor to so many otherwise boring foods! Think sandwiches, pasta, meat, veggies, pizza- the list is endless!

One of my favorite ways to eat it is baked with salmon and cherry tomatoes. Delish!

It's also very convenient that there's nothing bad in it! Traditional recipes usually have cheese in them, which is fine for some people, but my version without cheese will work for everyone.

Also, it's quite difficult to find a store-bought pesto without cheese, not to mention without refined seed or vegetable oils! If you want control over what goes in your body, you've gotta make things from scratch when possible.

And pesto's one thing that's just so quick and easy to make.

If you've got basil plants, feel free to use all basil leaves in place of the spinach leaves!

So whip up some fresh pesto and keep it in the fridge to use throughout your week to make mealtime more exciting and nutritious!

Is Pesto Dairy Free?

Traditional basil pesto is made with a healthy amount of parmesan cheese (or another hard cheese, sometimes romano or manchego). It's so tasty, but some people can't handle dairy very well.

It's actually quite easy to make pesto vegan. You can just leave the cheese out, or swap in nutritional yeast which adds a cheesy flavor. That's what I do in this recipe!

Is Pesto without Cheese Healthy?

This easy dairy-free pesto recipe is made with real, simple ingredients that all have nutritional benefits! As with anything else, using good quality ingredients will make this pesto healthier.

Pesto without Cheese Ingredients

Spinach - Dark leafy greens contain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as well as fibre and carotenoids. Some research has shown that consuming spinach can reduce the risk of cancer, promote heart health, prevent osteoporosis and reduce inflammation in the body! You can read more on the health benefits of dark leafy greens.

Many of the nutrients in green leafy vegetables require fat in order to be absorbed by the body. Blending spinach in a pesto with a healthy fat like extra-virgin olive oil is a great way to eat it!

Basil - High in vitamin K and contains smaller amounts of many vitamins and minerals. Basil is anti-inflammatory, so can aid with current health issues and prevent future ones.

Garlic - Contains small amounts of many vitamins and minerals, can fight sickness, improve heart health and more!

Walnuts - Rich in omega 3's and antioxidants, as well as many vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, copper, phosphorus, Vitamin E and more! Walnuts can help combat heart disease, prevent cancer and improve brain health.

Nutritional yeast - Especially high in riboflavin, niacin, Vitamins B6 and B12 and has smaller amounts of many trace minerals. Nutritional yeast may help protect against cell damage, helping to prevent many diseases.

Extra virgin olive oil - Rich in healthy fats and antioxidants. It can also reduce inflammation, decreasing the chances of many diseases.

Seasonings - Sea salt, pepper and lemon juice, for additional flavor. Fresh lemon juice is best, but you can always use bottled.

Pesto without Cheese Substitution Options

• Spinach - Replace the spinach with fresh basil leaves. I prefer a more mild pesto, that's why I make it the way I do, but you may replace all or some of the spinach with basil leaves and then leave out the dried basil.
• Walnuts - Replace with pine nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free pesto. Really you could use almost any nut or seed. A classic pesto recipe would use pine nuts, but they are significantly more expensive and harder to find in grocery stores.
• Garlic - Replace with ½ teaspoon garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic cloves.
• Nutritional yeast - Can be left out if desired.
• Extra virgin olive oil - My only replacement suggestion would be avocado oil. I wouldn't use any other neutral tasting oils such as canola or grapeseed, as these are highly refined and hazardous to your health.

Ways to Use Pesto

• Pasta
• Pizza
• Sandwiches/wraps
• On top of eggs
• With waffles or pancakes for a savoury breakfast
• Spread on toast
• Thin with some oil and vinegar to make salad dressing
• Roasted veggies
• With steak, pork chops or chicken
• Baked with salmon
• Mixed into mashed potatoes

Ways to store pesto without Cheese

Fridge: Store leftover pesto in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It's best if used within 3 days. To keep the top from browning, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top before sealing your container, or lay plastic wrap right on the top of the pesto before sealing.

Freezer: Freeze in an ice cube tray, then remove the pesto cubes to a freezer bag once frozen. Label the bag with the date it was frozen and use it within 3-4 months. These small portions are great for adding flavor to pasta dishes, pizza, sandwiches and wraps.

You can freeze larger portions in freezer-safe bags or containers if you are likely to need more than a few cubes at a time.

Tools You May Need

Food processor

How to Make Pesto Without Cheese

Ingredients:

• 200 g / 4 cups spinach (or fresh basil)
• 1½ tablespoon dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup walnuts or pinenuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

Add spinach, basil, garlic, nuts, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to a food processor.

Process until ingredients begin to combine, then slowly drizzle the olive oil and then lemon juice in while processing until all combined.

How to Store pesto without Cheese

Store leftover pesto in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It's best if used within 3 days. To keep the top from browning, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top before sealing your container, or lay plastic wrap right on the top of the pesto before sealing.

Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!

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