I tend to only make pesto in the summertime – otherwise there is no way I would be willing to spend the money on 2 cups of basil, know what I mean? This year I have 3 huge basil plants thriving in my garden. Each week I pick off a couple of cups of basil. Because I don’t want it to go bad I have to come up with something to use all of it. I’ve made vegan pesto lasagna and stuffed shells from The Accidental Vegan cookbook a few times, and they were both great, but I thought I’d try just a regular pesto. This is what I came up with, and it’s really good!

EASY VEGAN PESTO

2 Cups Basil

2-3 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)

1/2 Cup Olive Oil (the best you can afford, it makes a big difference)

1/4 Cup Walnuts or Pine Nuts (I use Walnuts because they are cheaper, both are good though.)

3 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS

Combine everything but the oil, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until it is fairly smooth. I don’t like mine completely puréed, but it’s up to you. Stir in your oil and add your spices.

Serve over cooked pasta, use as a spread for bread, use as a condiment for sandwiches. Get creative, it’s delicious!

Enjoy!