Here is a recipe for all my vegan friends and family from http://www.loveandlemons.com. This gluten-free, vegan pesto recipe is just as good as traditional pesto, even without the cheese! It’s delicious on pasta, pizza, crusty bread, and more.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or pepitas
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for a smoother pesto
• Optional: nutritional yeast, capers, or oil-packed sun dried tomatoes

Instructions

• In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until well chopped.
• Add the basil and pulse until combined.
• With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined.
• For extra cheesy flavor, add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast. For brinier flavor, add 2 teaspoons capers. For more umami, add 2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Briefly pulse to combine. Taste and adjust, adding more nutritional yeast, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes, as desired. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

Notes

Store any leftover pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pesto in ice cube trays. Then, transfer the pesto cubes to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.