Today we want to show you how to make one creamy vegan tahini pesto, Combines some of the tastiest ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine: sesame paste, basil and lemon. It’s ready in just 5 minutes and you only need 5 simple ingredients. Let’s do it!
Pesto is a world famous Italian condiment made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan. The ingredients are pounded into a creamy paste using a pestle and mortar. It’s a versatile sauce that’s often stirred up with pasta, as a topping for pizza, or with mashed potatoes. It also tastes great on roasted vegetables, as a spread in sandwiches and stuffed into savory pies.
But classic pesto isn’t dairy-free or vegan. So we made our tahini pesto to balance that out. This recipe combines the nutty flavor of sesame paste with the sweet aroma of basil and the freshness of lemon. It is a wholesome, healthy spice that enriches every dish with its unique taste. And be dairy free, vegan and nut freeit’s sure to be enjoyed by virtually everyone.
Instead of parmesan, we opted for nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a heat-activated yeast sold as flakes or powder that is fortified with vitamin B12. It’s a great alternative to parmesan thanks to its strong, cheesy taste and nutritional benefits.
Tahini is a spreadable paste made from peeled sesame seeds and a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. In this recipe, we used it instead of olive oil to add flavor to the pesto rich, toasty flavor. Also, by weight, tahini has fewer fats, more protein, and fiber than oil, making it a worthy substitute.
If you want to Prepare a large batch of this vegan pesto, pour into a jar and cover with oil before sealing. Stored this way, it will keep in the fridge for a month. Once opened, it stays fresh for up to a week.