Dairy-Free Basil Pesto
There are a few key foods that feel hard to replace when you decide to go dairy-free. Finding a good plant based butter, an ice cream that satisfies your cravings without having a weird texture and traditional elements that are hard to replicate. Pesto was a surprisingly big deal when it came down to it for me, there were a lot of dishes where I incorporated it and I just couldn’t find a dairy-free version in the grocery store. Wanting to pay proper credit and recognition to Bad Manners (formerly Thug Kitchen) for the foundation of this recipe. I was beyond thankful when I found their version and made a minor tweak to fit my tastes. Used in The Best G-Damn Lasagna this Dairy-Free Basil Pesto adds so much depth, and stands alone on pasta so well.
There aren’t many modifiers or substitutions for this mix, I will add any as I find them; but the Cauldron Corner will be at the bottom as always!
Dairy-Free Basil Pesto
This super versatile pesto is great on pasta, sandwiches and will add depth to complex dishes. Being able to enjoy this without needing dairy is such a game changer.
- ⅓ cup Slivered or sliced almonds (Toasted)
- 1¼ cup packed torn basil leaves
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2-3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- ½ tsp Lemon zest
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2-3 Garlic cloves
Toast the almonds by either laying them on a cookie sheet and baking at [wprm-temperature value=”350″ unit=”F”] for 7-8 minutes or in a dry skillet for 4-5 minutes.
Put the basil and almonds in a food processor and chop a few times to get started.
Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. If it looks a bit dry you can add in more oil or water depending on your taste. That's it, enjoy!
Modifiers and Substitutions
Nuts: Substitute the nuts as needed, walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds all work great in this Dairy-free Basil Pesto.
Cauldron Corner
- Basil: Love, exorcism, wealth, sympathy, and protection. Dispels confusion, fears & weakness.
- Garlic: Strengths, courage, endurance, protection, health, inspiration, male fertility
- Lemon: Romance, love, friendship, creative energy, joy, happiness, fulfillment, break bad habits, purification
- Salt: Protection, purification, barrier, shield
- Olive: Luck, protection, peace, harmony, fertility
- Almonds: Banish addiction, fertility, luck, beauty, wealth, love