Homemade vegan cashew pesto is quick to make and has much more flavour than shop-bought pesto.
HOMEMADE VEGAN PESTO CASHEW
Shop-bought pesto is a handy ingredient to keep in your store cupboard for quick meals and snacks, but it just doesn't taste as good as homemade pesto.
And the good news is, pesto is super easy to make at home.
This homemade vegan pesto can be made in a couple of minutes and it tastes delicious!
You can make it in a blender, food processor or a pestle and mortar. Your choice.
WHICH NUTS ARE USED IN PESTO
Classic pesto is made from lightly toasted pine nuts, also known as pine kernels.
It's fun to play about with the nuts when making pesto. Each nut will give a very different flavour.
You can use:
- pine nuts
- cashew nuts
- peanuts
- walnuts
- pistachios
- macadamia nuts
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HOMEMADE VEGAN CASHEW PESTO
You only need a handful of ingredients to make a luscious homemade pesto:
- Fresh basil
- Cashew nuts - salted or plain
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Vegan parmesan - optional
- Salt & pepper - if you are using salted nuts you don't need to add salt
VEGAN PARMESAN
Technically there is no such thing as vegan parmesan. The word parmesan is protected and can only be used for cheese made in a certain way with certain ingredients.
So there are no vegan parmesans.
Well, not by that name anyway.
However, there are many vegan parmesan alternatives out there. The best one we have tried, the one that has that real parmesan tang is Prosociano by Violife.
Most supermarkets stock it or you can buy it from the online Vegan Cheese Shop. I use them quite regularly to stock up on vegan cheeses.
Of course, you may skip the cheese when making pesto. It will still be delicious, just not as luxurious.
HOW LONG WILL PESTO KEEP IN THE FRIDGE?
Yes, pesto can be kept in the fridge.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
CAN PESTO BE FROZEN?
Yes, pesto can be frozen.
Freeze it in an ice cube tray, then pop them into a freezer bag.
These individual portions can be defrosted in a bowl in the fridge overnight or popped into soups, stews and sauces while frozen and allowed to defrost as they cook.
use this pesto to make - Mini Tomato Pastry Bites
pin it for later
HOW TO USE HOMEMADE PESTO IN YOUR LUNCH BOX
- Take some in a small tub and drizzle it on your soup
- Spread it on toasties before adding the other ingredients
- Use it as a spread on sandwiches
- Use it as a spread on wraps
- Flavour couscous and other grain salads with it
- Thin it down with more olive oil and use it as a salad dressing
- Use it as a dip for crunchy veg
- Toss it through cold pasta with chopped salad vegetables to make a tasty pasta salad
- Spread it on squares of puff pastry before adding slices of tomato and baking to make simple tomato tarts
- Spread it on rice cakes and top with slices of cucumber and tomato
MORE VEGAN DIPS & SPREADS TO MAKE FOR YOUR LUNCH BOX
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cashew Pesto
An easy recipe for a vibrant green vegan pesto made with basil and cashews.
Ingredients
- 120 ml olive oil
- 30 g fresh basil
- 100 g salted cashew nuts
- 3 tablespoon vegan parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender, food
processor or a pestle and mortar. - Blend until it is the pesto consistency you like.
- Taste to see if it needs more seasoning.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You can skip the vegan parmesan if you like. If you are not using salted cashews, add a pinch of salt.
- This pesto can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days
- Pesto can be frozen in an ice cube tray, then popped in a freezer bag.
Alisa says
The cashews are a great addition. They add a great buttery flavour.
Julia says
I absolutely agree with you! Homemade pesto is the best!
Dannii says
Wow, look at the colour of that - so vibrant. We use pesto a lot for a quick and easy meal, and I love the look of this vegan version.
Lauren Vavala says
Cashews are my all time favorite nut. I love regular pesto with pine nuts, but this recipe is a must try for sure!
Beth says
Yummy! This looks so delicious and tasty! Homemade recipes are my favorite! I can't wait to make this!
Anonymous says
Wow what a color 😍 I am going to try it.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
It's super vibrant. I hope you enjoy it.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Yes the cashews do give a different flavour. Do try it.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh absolutely. It's so much nicer.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
It is rather colourful and such a versatile dip.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes they do. I actually prefer them.
Simone says
Love this and it was super easy to make. I find everything off your website so far has been a success in my household. Just one thing, could you PLEASE add a Jump to Recipe button. I know it's there for the occasional recipe bit I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't need all the blog and just wants to make the deliciousness😊 Thanks so much.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Hi Simone. I am glad you are enjoying my recipes. Yes, a few of the early posts from when I started on Blogger have no jump to button as I couldn't figure out how to add one when they converted to WordPress. The majority of the posts do though and they all will have it going forward. If you want a wee hack, just hit on comments, it will whizz you down to the bottom and the recipe card is just above that.
Chrissie Douglass says
I like the sound of this, could you use coriander?
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Definitely, it's fun to swap the herbs or nuts each time.