If you know me at all, you know that pesto is my one true love (I may have a couple of these). Unfortunately, the "conventional" means of making said pesto contain dairy, typically in the form of parmesan cheese. Yucky and sad face. We'll dive into why I don't consume dairy in a bit.
In the wonderful world of plant-based cooking, dairy can be so easily subbed for nuts. Nuts add such a complex richness, are deliciously satisfying and are chock full of healthy fats and protein. Win-win-win-win-win. This is why nut cheese is a no brainer.
Today, we put casually curvaceous cashews to the test in concocting our very own homemade pesto sauce...that may or may not have been made for spoon feeding myself for the rest of the week. As for the other items in the pictures featured, I spiraled some zucchini, chopped up some tomatoes and pressure cooked some white beans as an excuse to make pesto, let's be real.
Alright. Sit tight. Here we go.
Cashew Basil Pesto
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Yields well over 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 cups cashews, soaked
1 cup fresh basil
6 cloves garlic
2 T lemon juice
2 T nutritional yeast
1 t sea salt
1 cup water, or as needed
2 large handfuls of spinach
Directions:
Place all ingredients in food processor (I used my Ninja) and blend until mixture is a smooth, well-blended consistency.
Spoon or spatula out and into your dish, storage container or mouth. Enjoy!
Until next delicious adventure! - GC