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.
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
MORE VEGAN DIPS TO TRY
Here are a few more vegan dips to try:
- Creamy Vegan Sriracha Dip
- Easy Hummus Recipe
- Homemade Vegan Cashew Pesto
- Red Pepper Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Spinach & Lemon Pesto
- Vegan Lemon & Chive Dip for Chips
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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
Easy Broccoli Pesto
An easy recipe for a lush, green broccoli pesto with no cheese. Can be made with standard broccoli or tenderstem broccoli.
Ingredients
- 60 g broccoli 10 stalks tenderstem or 4-6 florets standard broccoli
- 10 g fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 200 g cashew nuts
- 250 ml olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Whizz all the ingredients until smooth or nearly smooth in a blender, food processor, pestle and mortar or in a beaker or jug with a hand blender.
- Taste to check and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You may use standard broccoli instead of tenderstem.
- You may add vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast (nooch) if you like, but do try it without it.
- This pesto can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- This pesto can be frozen in portions and defrosted in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 39kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 49mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Unknown
This is actually perfect for my toddler who's starting to love pasta! Thank you for your recipe!
Anonymous
I have not heard of tender stem but I do have a broccoli in the fridge waiting to be used. Thanks for the inspo.
Anonymous
This looks so good and a good way of adding extra veg sneaky like for my kids.
Kate
Oh it's such a great idea to make pesto with broccoli! I can't wait to give it at try.
Annissa
Love this healthy and yummy recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Kylie
Such a nice change from traditional pesto!
Unknown
As a pesto lover, I am having so much love for this! Thank you for sharing!
Jess Morton
I made this today and it is great! thanks for the recipe.
Jacqueline Meldrum
I am so glad you enjoyed the pesto. It's great being able to add extra veg to dishes.