This dairy-free, vegan basil cashew pesto is made with fresh herbs and pre-soaked nuts, which give it a gorgeous velvety cream consistency. Spread over sweet potato toast, use as a dip, add to your salad or as a sauce for pasta or zucchini noodles.
Basil Cashew Pesto
I bought a big bunch of fresh basil the other day and wanted to make my regular pesto but realised that I only had some cashews on hand (I usually add pine nuts). I often use soaked cashews for making a dairy-free ‘cheese-y’ sauce and in dips, so they quickly ended up in a blender together with fresh herbs and olive oil.
The mixture of this cashew pesto is a thicker, creamier consistency of a regular pesto and has that beautiful fresh basil flavour mellowed out by the nutty, sweet nuts and olive oil, plus a hint of garlic.
This basil cashew pesto is vegan and paleo-friendly and is quite low in carbs, so it’s suitable for a keto diet.
What Goes Into This Cashew Pesto
I wanted to keep this basil cashew pesto dairy-free so it’s suitable for paleo, Whole30 and vegan diets, so there is no Parmesan cheese or any other kind of cheese. Cashew nuts give it plenty of creaminess so you don’t need it anyway.
I went with the traditional basil but you can easily use other fresh herbs or a mixture. You could do a coriander/cilantro for a Mexican-inspired pesto or oregano and rosemary for a Greek-style. Arugula or rocket can also be used for a more mellow leafy green flavour.
Garlic and lemon will give it a little acidity and a pungent kick. Finally, the key to any good pesto is good quality olive oil. This is where extra-virgin would be the best bet.
How To Use Basil Cashew Pesto
You can use this paleo and vegan cashew pesto in a variety of ways:
- as a spread over roasted sweet potato toast or toasted sourdough
- use it to top sliced tomatoes or grilled vegetables like eggplant and zucchini
- drizzle over roasted carrots or pumpkin
- use it as a spread in a tasty paleo wrap or any kind of sandwich really
- as a dip with fresh carrot and celery sticks
- stir through some scrambled eggs or add a dollop on top
- as a sauce with zucchini or celeriac noodles, or with your favourite gluten-free pasta
- as a crust on grilled or baked fish or chicken
More Dairy-Free Pesto Recipes
Full Recipe
Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup cashew nuts soaked in warm water for 3-4 hours
- 1 medium bunch fresh basil about 2 cups packed with leaves
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil good quality
- 2 clove of garlic chopped roughly
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- A generous pinch of pepper
- ¼ cup water you can add more for thinner consistency
Instructions
- Pre-soak the cashew nuts in a bowl of warm water for 3-4 hours and strain through a sieve.
- Tear off the basil leaves and save the stalks for a soup, although you can also use some of the stalks in the pesto.
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Process into a thick puree, adding a little more water if the consistency is too thick. Taste the pureed mixture for salt and lemon, and add more if you like.
- You can also add some chilli or more garlic if you like an extra kick, or some nutritional yeast flakes for a more cheesy flavour.
Notes
Nutrition
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