🌿Creamy Vegan Pesto with Macadamia & Parsley
If there’s one sauce I always have on hand, it’s this vegan pesto.
It’s quick, endlessly versatile, and adds instant flavor to anything—from roasted veggies to pasta, grain bowls, sandwiches, and even toast.
This version swaps pine nuts for buttery macadamias, adds parsley to brighten and balance the basil, and blends into a perfectly creamy, totally plant-based sauce. You can make it in five minutes and keep it in the fridge for quick meals all week long.
✨Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
½ cup fresh parsley (packed)
¼ cup raw macadamia nuts
1–2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup nutritional yeast
⅓ cup olive oil (or more to taste) — I use Graza finishing oil
Salt to taste
2–4 tbsp water (to thin, as needed)
👩🍳Instructions:
Blend: Add basil, parsley, macadamia nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt to a food processor. Be careful not to over blend, as the basil can start to have a bitter taste.
Add oil: With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth and creamy.
Adjust: Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach your desired consistency.
Taste + store: Taste and adjust salt or lemon. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
🧺 Ways to Use It:
Tossed with pasta (obviously)
Spread on sandwiches, wraps, or toast
Swirled into hummus
Drizzled over grain bowls or roasted vegetables
Dolloped onto soups or baked potatoes
This pesto is proof that dairy free doesn’t mean flavor free. It’s creamy, vibrant, and packed with good fats and fresh herbs. Let me know if you try it—I love seeing how you use it! Tag @kellysgreenkitchen_ on Instagram so I can cheer you on.
