Often made with garlic, pine nuts, basil leaves, olive oil, and (in many cases, but not this one) cheese, pesto is a wonderful, flavorful green sauce. It is incredibly tasty and adaptable and has Italian origins.
To counteract the flavor of the missing cheese, roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts, and a ton of incredibly fresh basil are all included in this dairy-free pesto recipe. The pesto doesn’t scream “GARLIC!” so don’t worry. Holy cow, what’s in this magical green paste that tastes so good? cries the message.
You can find all the ingredients for a delectable dairy-free pesto sauce below. The recipe card contains specific amounts as well as substitutions when appropriate.
Fresh basil leaves – a signature ingredient in pesto! Fresh is key here.
Garlic – garlic is the star of this pesto show!
Pine nuts – we’re keeping things traditional with pine nuts here, but if you want to save a few dollars, feel free to grab walnuts or sunflower seeds instead.
Lemon – fresh lemon juice adds some zing and acidity to the pesto.
Salt and pepper
Roasting the garlic is the most time-consuming part, which is compensated by the fact that your house will smell like an Italian villa for the rest of the day. I love the smell of roasted garlic. Don’t be intimidated by the process! It’s super easy.
