Vegan Pistachio Pesto

According to National Geographic, “Sicily is the only place in Italy that pistachios are grown” and “pistachio pesto is wonderful on pasta, bruschette, risotto and much more.” How delicious does that sound? Especially, if you, like me, positively love pistachios and Italian food. You can read the brief article here. As a long time lover of all things Italian, I was excited for the chance to put together this delicious recipe for vegan pistachio pesto. And once I got it right, I thought you might appreciate it too.

This recipe makes ~1½ cups.

A few things…

• Personally, I love the mint in this recipe, because it’s bold. There’s nothing quiet about it. But I can see where it might not fit with all dishes or tastes. I tested swapping mint for parsley, and found it still tasted very good either way.

• When adding the basil (or parsley, if using instead of mint) to the measuring cup, it’s ok to include some stems with the leaves. They will break down. With the mint, use the leaves only. The stems can be woody, and shouldn’t be eaten.

• I used Bella Sun Luci Julienne Cut Sun-Dried with Italian Herbs Tomatoes, which were packed in olive oil. They do a great job providing umami flavor to the vegan pistachio pesto recipe.

• For best results, use a high speed blender, like a Vitamix. You can vary the consistency by adding more olive oil, or blending it on a higher setting. I’m not sure how easily raw pistachios would grind up in a regular blender or food processor. If you beat me to giving that a shot, I’d love to know how it went.

I keep thinking this would vegan pistachio pesto be great in gnocchi with green peas, but I haven’t gotten there. It’s great in this soup. Maybe you’ve got some ideas too? That’s the thing about pesto, it has so many applications. I hope it’s a hit for you!

Don’t miss other UVK recipes, like Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Dill and Roasted Pistachios, Vegan Basil Pesto, Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Kale Pesto Sandwich with Seitan and Apples, and more!

Vegan Pistachio Pesto

½ cup raw unsalted whole pistachios

2 garlic cloves, peel removed

1½ Tbsp julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil with Italian herbs (see notes above)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 cups fresh basil leaves (stems ok too – see notes above)

⅓ cup fresh mint leaves (OR fresh parsley)

⅓ cup olive oil

Salt, to taste (I added ½ tsp)

Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender (like a Vitamix). If you like it chunkier with bits, pulse it until it looks good to you. If you like it smoother, blend until it looks good. Thin with olive oil, if needed. Taste the vegan pistachio pesto, and adjust the flavor (more salt? lemon juice?).