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As the weather continues to warm, there’s no better time to enjoy dishes that highlight the abundant produce of the season than now. If you have heaps of herbs in your garden, overbought, or just want a delicious herby recipe then making this Vegan Herb Pesto is a must! This recipe is a fragrant and flavorful summer pesto without nuts and dairy. It’s an aromatic and fresh sauce, perfect for pasta, sandwiches, salads, and more!

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Recently I’ve discovered I have a nut intolerance, which is truly tragic. So, to look on the bright side of things I started thinking of recipes I could make nut-free without sacrificing flavor. With heaps of herbs available, I decided I needed to make pesto. But, I didn’t want to just make a nut-free basil pesto. Cue this Nut-free Vegan Herb Pesto! This recipe uses a combo of basil and chives and is so versatile and tasty. It’s a fun way to add even more flavor and freshness to a traditional basil pesto!

For this Nut-free and Vegan Herb Pesto you'll need:

Fresh basil
Fresh chives – Chives are the perfect compliment to roasted garlic which I wanted to lean into with this pesto. But you could sub this for some rosemary for an extra fragrant summer pesto too. Although, honestly the combinations are endless and you could use a mix of several herbs depending on what you have on hand and what your flavor preferences are!
Roasted garlic – Roast garlic by chopping the tops off and placing in a ramekin, drizzle oil on top then cover with a lid (or another ramekin) and bake at 375℉ for about 45 minutes. You’ll know the garlic is ready when it’s a caramel color and is fragrant. Squeeze the garlic out of the skin and you’re good to go!
Pumpkin seeds – Make sure you use unsalted and shelled pumpkin seeds, aka pepitas.
Olive oil – A good quality olive oil makes a huge difference in taste, so use one that has a flavor you like!
Lemon juice – Fresh is best.
Nutritional yeast – Our vegan sub for parmesan. You can omit this if you don’t mind not having a cheesy taste.
Salt

Notes:

What is a substitute for pine nuts in pesto?

There are several great options to replace pine nuts in pesto, but this recipe uses pepitas which is my favorite nut-free alternative.

What's the best way to clean herbs?

Dunking your herbs in a bowl of cool water is the easiest and most water-efficient way to clean herbs. Submerge the herbs in the water and let sit for a moment. Then gently swish around to dislodge any dirt. After washing your herbs, make sure you dry them well before using to prevent water-logged pesto.

How can you make sure everything is mixed well when blending?

Make sure to scrape the sides of your food processor as needed as you blend to ensure everything is incorporated.

What is pesto good on?

There are so many delicious ways to use pesto! Pizza, wraps, sandwiches, avocado toast, tofu scramble, pasta, and salad are common things I like to put pesto on.

Can you freeze pesto?

Pesto is perfect for freezing, which makes this recipe a great way to prevent food waste if you have an excess of herbs. After blending, store in a freezer-safe jar or portion out in ice cube trays then freeze. The lemon juice helps prevent oxidation but, if you’re worried about it browning in the freezer, you can put a light layer of olive oil on top to “seal” the pesto.

How long does pesto last?

This Vegan Herb Pesto will stay fresh for a couple of days in the fridge or about 3 months in the freezer. I suggest either using it right after preparing or freezing it until ready to use.

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