Vegan Pesto

Inspired by: Vegan Richa

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• 2 cups spinach or baby kale, or loosely packed parsley, cilantro or more basil
• 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 6 tbsp pine nuts or pecans or use almonds, cashews, walnuts, (hemp seeds or more sunflower seeds for nutfree)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional, add a cheesy flavor, or use vegan parmesan of choice
• zest of half a lemon or use lemon juice to taste
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• water as needed
• black pepper , red pepper flakes or other flavor addition

DIRECTIONS

• Put the basil, spinach, sunflower seeds, pecans, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, lemon zest into a food processor. Process until a coarse mixture.
• Add olive oil and a tbsp or so water. and process again. Add more water if needed to make a homogeneous mixture.
• Taste and adjust flavor. Add more oil to preference, adjust salt, add more nutritional yeast for cheesier. Use it with pasta, salads, over pizza, over garlic bread, in sandwiches with roasted veggies and other applications.