Vegan Parsley Walnut Pesto

This flavourful vegan parsley walnut pesto is simple to make and full of fresh greens and walnuts. This recipe also includes a 4 serving pasta measurement to make a quick and nutritious weekday dinner. Makes approximately 1-½ cups of pesto.

Why this recipe works

Parsley deserves more than just garnish status—I love to prominently feature parsley in salads, smoothies and, in this case, pesto slathered over rigatoni noodles (my favourite). The fresh, bright, earthy flavour of parsley is subdued with spinach, then blended with robust olive oil and earthy walnuts.

If you're not such a fan of traditional basil pesto, like myself, you will appreciate this version. While traditional pestos contain Parmesan cheese, this recipe uses nutritional yeast to provide a similar umami, slightly nutty flavour. This vegan parsley walnut pesto is full of herbaceous flavour; it's nutty, garlicky and salty and wonderful on any pasta.

This is a simple, dairy-free, quick and versatile recipe to make for busy weeknights; I often make this for my family and love knowing that there is a good helping of greens with each serving.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredient list is simple and contains 7 fairly easy to find items. For the full list of ingredients and the quantities of each, please see the recipe card below.

Fresh parsley: I prefer to use flat leaf Italian parsley for this recipe, however, you can use curly parsley as well.

Fresh spinach: Spinach can be replaced with baby kale in equal measure, although kale has a more distinct and bitter flavour than spinach so they flavour will be altered.

Raw Unsalted Walnuts: Almonds can be used in equal measure instead of walnuts, just be sure to blend it a little longer to ensure there are no large pieces of almonds.

Sea Salt: Himalayan pink salt or kosher salt will work here as well.

Garlic: I use fresh garlic cloves for this recipe, however, you could use jarred minced garlic for a milder garlic flavour.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Avocado oil, grape seed oil or any neutral flavoured liquid oil can be used in exchange for olive oil, however, the flavour won't be quite the same.

Nutritional Yeast: This adds a rich, umami flavour to this recipe, similar to how Parmesan would in traditional pesto.

Dried pasta of choice: The pesto is gluten free, however use gluten free pasta if you wish to make the entire dish gluten-free.

You will also need the following equipment: 6 cup food processor or high speed blender

Method Overview

This recipe comes together very quickly. Simply add all the ingredients to the bowl of a 6 cup food processor and blend until the mixture is fairly smooth. For the full detailed instructions for making this recipe, please see the recipe card further down the post.

Helpful Tips

• Wash the parsley and spinach very well: use fresh clean running water —often times spinach and parsley are grown in sandy soils and this grit can make its way onto the leaves of the plant. Make sure it's all washed away.

• Don't over process: the pesto should be fairly grainy, however, you can process it to your desired consistency.

• Adjust the amount of olive oil: for a thinner pesto. Add a few extra tablespoons of oil while blending to create the desired consistency.

Serving Suggestions

Vegan parsley walnut pesto is great on cooked pasta (obviously) and I've included measurements for that below. This pesto recipe is also wonderful on toast, mixed into chickpeas or white beans or added to soups, salads or dolloped on pizza.

Make Ahead & Storage

Storage: This pesto will last covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, however it is best consumed the same day it is made.

Freezing: This recipe can be doubled and frozen in freezer safe containers in small batches for up to 1-2 months. Defrost any portions covered in the fridge prior to use, or toss it frozen into hot pasta with a bit of the pasta water and stir until it is melted and coats the pasta evenly.

Note that the bright green colour will dull slightly after a few days in the fridge or after defrosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

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If you made my Vegan Parsley Walnut Pesto please leave me a comment below with a star rating; it really helps others who are interested in making the recipe. For more from The Simple Green, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Consider becoming a subscriber to receive emails of new recipes and posts.

Vegan Parsley Walnut Pesto Pasta

author nameAuthor | Heidi Richter

An easy, fresh and flavourful pesto made with parsley, spinach and walnuts! This vegan parsley walnut pesto can be slathered on rigatoni noodles (or your favourite pasta), or used on toast, chickpeas or however you like to use pesto. Makes ~1 ½ cups of pesto.

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4 people

Calories 651 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups (75g) fresh parsley, washed
• 1 cup (40g) fresh spinach , washed
• Heaping ⅓ cup (50g) raw walnut halves, unsalted
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 350 g rigatoni pasta, uncooked (or pasta of choice)

Instructions

 

• In a food processor, or high speed blender, combine all ingredients except the pasta, and blend on high until well combined and the mixture reaches a fairly smooth puree. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides to ensure everything is incorporated evenly.
• Cook pasta as per package directions, drain and then place back in the cooking pot. Stir in the pesto and serve.

Notes

The pesto will last covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. This recipe can also be doubled and frozen in freezer safe containers in small batches for up to 1-2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 651kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 15gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 320mgPotassium: 501mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3230IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 4mg

This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.

Keywords | dairy free, healthy, vegan pesto

Disclaimer

all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.