An easy recipe for a lush, green broccoli pesto with no cheese, which can be made with standard broccoli or tenderstem broccoli.

EASY BROCCOLI PESTO (vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free)

Homemade pesto is a really delicious thing.

It just has so much flavour and you can really play about with it.

You can change the herbs and the nuts, add vegetables for flavour and nutrients and you can add vegan parmesan (or whatever hard cheese you use) or leave it out.

This tasty pesto is made with broccoli and no cheese.

I used tenderstem broccoli, but you can use standard broccoli and it is just as good.

WHAT IS TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI?

Tenderstem is a mix of Chinese kale and broccoli.

As the name says, these are tender broccoli stems and you eat the stems as well as the broccoli heads as it is soft enough to eat and tastes great.

DOES TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI HAVE ANOTHER NAME?

Tenderstem has many different names. Tenderstem is the name used in the UK, but it is also known as:

ASPARATION
ASPABROC
BROCCOLINI
BROCOLETTI
BROCCOLETTE
ITALIAN SPROUTING BROCCOLI
SWEET BABY BROCCOLI

CAN I USE NORMAL BROCCOLI INSTEAD OF TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI?

Yes, you can usually substitute tenderstem broccoli with standard broccoli, if that's what you have.

The stem of standard broccoli is much harder, but it can be used in dishes too if you cut it finely and cook it until it's soft.

Tenderstem stems should be eaten and doesn't need any special treatment as it's softer and very tasty.

WHICH OIL SHOULD YOU USE WHEN MAKING PESTO?

The best oil for making a homemade pesto is olive oil.

You can use mild olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.

The thing to remember with extra virgin olive oil is it can be quite strong and can overpower other flavours. It can also taste a bit bitter after blending.

I prefer to use a milder olive oil and let the other flavours shine.

If you are going to add extra virgin olive oil, taste it first to see how strong the flavour is and judge if it will go well with the other flavours you are adding.

CASHEW NUTS IN PESTO

I like to use cashew nuts in pesto.

Pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts and they are good, but I like the creamy, buttery quality of cashew nuts.

In this recipe used roasted salted cashews, but you can use plain cashew nuts that are unsalted.

WHICH NUTS CAN YOU USE TO MAKE PESTO?

Here are a few types of nut that work well in pesto:

PINE NUTS
CASHEW NUTS
PEANUTS
WALNUTS
PISTACHIOS
ALMONDS
HAZELNUTS
MACADAMIA NUTS
PECANS

You can also add seeds or use them instead of nuts.

Try adding these seeds:

SUNFLOWER SEEDS
PUMPKIN SEEDS
SESAME SEEDS

also try Vegan Black Olive Tapenade

CAN YOU ADD NUTRITIONAL YEAST (NOOCH) TO PESTO?

Nutritional yeast, also known as nooch is a great addition to pesto.

It gives that cheesy, umami flavour and adds a boost of nutrients as it usually includes vitamin B12 which is hard to get in a vegan diet.

A lack of B12 in the diet can lead to anaemia. Read more about it in this NHS article Vitamin B12 or Folate Deficiency Anaemia.

I didn't add it to this pesto as I wanted to keep it simple., but it would certainly be a good addition.

VEGAN PARMESAN IN PESTO

Pesto usually contains Parmesan.

Of course Parmesan isn't suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet, but there are vegetarian and vegan substitutes.

Because of an EU directive, they can't be called parmesan and are often called hard cheese or pasta cheese.

Violife make a good vegan parmesan called Prosociano. It's the nearest to a dairy cheese I have tried and really adds a lot of flavour to dishes.

In this recipe, I skipped the cheese, but you may add it if you like.

MAKING PESTO

You will often see chefs making pesto with a pestle and mortar and you can do that if you like, but there is a much easier way to do it.

Pesto can be made in a blender, a food processor or with an electric hand mixer in a beaker or jug.

Quick and easy!

HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP PESTO?

You can keep homemade pesto in for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Freeze pesto in portions for 3-4 months, then defrost in the fridge overnnight, before using it.

tenderstem broccoli pesto in a white bowl

HOW TO SERVE PESTO

Here are some ideas for using homemade pesto.

Fold pesto through hot pasta with roast vegetables
Mix it through cold pasta with crunchy salad veg
Mix it through spaghetti with some chilli flakes and black pepper
Spread on the inside of a toastie before adding cheese
Thin it with more olive oil and serve as a salad dressing or dress roasted vegetables with it
Mix it through mashed potatoes
Add small dollops to your pizza for more flavour
Spread it on a salad sandwich
Top a spicy bean burger with it
Mix it through couscous and add crunchy salad or roast veg
Dollop it on a baked potato with grated vegan cheddar
Add a dollop to your chilli when you serve it
Add a dollop to soup when you serve it
Use it as a dip, with crisps (chips) and crunchy veg
Mix it through vegan butter with garlic and spread on bread to make delicious garlic bread

If you love a veg-packed pesto like this one, try my creamy spinach and pea pesto, that has added protein from silken tofu.

Easy Broccoli Pesto made with tenderstem broccoli

MORE VEGAN DIPS TO TRY

Here are a few more vegan dips to try:

WANT NEW RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ?

Sign up for my Vegan Lunch Box newsletter for lunch ideas and recipes straight to your inbox when they are published.

Sign up for my Tinned Tomatoes newsletter for a selection of recipes delivered to your inbox each week or sign up for my email updates and don't miss out on the latest recipe. Check your spam folder they don't arrive.

pin it for later

An easy recipe for a lush, green broccoli pesto with no cheese. Can be made with standard broccoli or tenderstem broccoli.

Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Then join my Facebook group Living on the Veg. It's a very friendly community with lots of recipes and chat. I'm in there every day chatting.

HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI PESTO

Scroll down for the full printable recipe. If you don't have a printer, just hit print then save as a PDF.

STEP 1

Add broccoli, fresh basil, garlic and cashew nuts to the jug of a blender or food processor.

Scroll down for a full printable recipe.

STEP 2

Add olive oil, salt and pepper.

Go easy on the pepper if you are using salted cashews. You can always add more once it is blended if it needs it.

Whizz until smooth or almost smooth, depending on the texture you prefer.

Serve and enjoy!

📖 Recipe