Who doesn’t like pesto? I actually prefer it over a tomato sauce any day. We have basil growing in our backyard, so I thought I would use some of it to create a pesto sauce. I could seriously sit there and smell it all day! Seriously, if you don’t have basil growing in your house or yard, you need to get some. That stuff grows like a weed! You can save so much money by growing your own herbs. Plus, you can freeze them and have herbs all year round. This recipe makes more of a paste than a sauce, so if you want to turn it into a sauce, you need to add a bit more oil or some water.
I love using this recipe for making pizza. It’s great with a cherry tomatoes as well. If you are not familiar with nutritional yeast, it comes in flake form and gives a nutty and cheesy taste. It is often used in place of cheese. Nutritional yeast is a great source of protein, fiber and B vitamins. You can find it at most health stores. I used almonds when making this pesto, since pine nuts are so expensive. Almonds make a great substitute.
Dairy Free Spinach Pesto
10-15 basil leaves
1 cup almonds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder or 2-3 cloves
salt to taste
Throw everything in the food processor and mix until combined. Since my food processor’s lid broke and I am waiting for a new one to arrive, I had to use my Vitamix for this. I can tell you it was a bit harder in the Vitamix than the food processor. This recipe made about 1 1/2 cups and should last a couple weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze it for longer storage. Enjoy!
