ALLERGENS: NONE
This Easy Nut-Free Pesto is an allergy-friendly, plant-based take on the classic Italian sauce that’s sure to be a hit with everyone.
When I moved to Seattle in 1999 I was an uneducated vegetarian. I wasn’t aware of nutritional needs andhad no idea how the dairy industry in America worked; I just knew I didn’t want to eat animals anymore. And I didn’t know what pesto was made from. All of these things led me to blindly order a tofu sandwich from one of my favorite spots, The Crocodile Café, and what followed was a very eye-opening experience. Not only was that the moment where I decided tofu wasn’t for me—though I’ve since learned that there are a million ways to make it good and I now eat it often—but it was also when I learned that pine nuts are bad news in my world.
Shortly after eating a few bites of the sandwich I felt very itchy and my throat began to close up. Pesto was made with nuts! I don’t know why I didn’t know this before, but I did now. My nut allergy is nowhere near as severe as that of some people. I get these symptoms and as my body starts to fight I get really weak all over. Luckily, when this happened to me my office was right down the block so I could go lie down and wait for it to pass.
The unfortunate thing here is that I really liked the pesto that did me in. But since that day I’ve steered clear of it completely. But seeing it so frequently throughout the vegan food community got me to thinking about it and so I decided to find a way to make a version that those of us with a tree nut allergy can enjoy fear-free.
Ingredients
This Easy Nut-Free Pesto uses brown flax seed instead of pine nuts to get a similar earthy, nutty taste and the same texture. It’s an adaptation of a pretty traditional pesto recipe, but made vegan, of course, by substituting nutritional yeast for the parmesan. It’s really easy to make and is very versatile. You can mix it into your pasta with a little water to get a saucy dish; bake it into bread; or even mix it into a vinaigrette to top your favorite salad.
Tell Me What You Think
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this Easy Nut-Free Pesto if you make it. So drop me a comment below, and be sure to tag @nutfreevegan on social media if you’re posting photos. Plus, it’s always super fun to see these dishes out in the wild!
Easy Nut-Free Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flax seed or flax meal
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves stemmed and tightly packed
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Use coffee grinder or food processor to grind the flax seed into a powder if you're not using flax meal. Add—along with basil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic—to a blender or food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Add olive oil and blend until fairy smooth. Stir and use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
This recipe is gluten-free.
Nutrition
Pine nuts are actually seeds, not nuts. But I suppose you could be allergic to them anyway.
Yes. What I learned early on in doing this blog is that when folks have a nut allergy they’re quite often allergic to things that are similar, but aren’t specifically nuts—like peanuts for example, which are legumes. So I avoid those things to accommodate as many people as possible.