Vegan Parsley Walnut Pesto
There is nothing better than homemade pesto. Though it’s typically made with basil and pine nuts, did you know you can use other herbs and nuts or seeds to make pesto? You can!
I love this vegan parsley walnut pesto version because it’s so easy to make! Parsley is available at your local store all year long for when basil is not as accessible. Plus, walnuts are are great swap for pine nuts. They’re cheaper and more versatile, so I tend to always have them on hand!
I’ve always been more of a meat and potatoes girl. However, my mom’s side of my family is Italian so we tend to go out to Italian restaurants for special occasions.
Nowadays, I stick with the chicken and vegetable dishes when we go out, but there was a time when I would order pasta. But it couldn’t just be any kind of pasta.. it had to be covered in pesto.
There’s something about noodles covered in a thick, green pesto sauce that gets me every time. So earthy and rich and everything that is good in the world. Don’t stop there with the pesto though – pesto is great on fish, sandwiches, and pizza.
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Why I love this vegan pesto recipe
If you can’t eat dairy, don’t fret! Since dairy traditionally has pesto in it, I thought that my time with pesto had come to an end when I found out about all of my food restrictions.
So when I came up with this recipe for parsley walnut pesto that was also vegan, I was thrilled! You won’t even miss the cheese in this recipe. I started eating it straight out of the jar not sure what else to put it on, but believe me, I have found ways to use this amazing spread in every way possible! I can’t wait to make some cauliflower pizza to spread it on!
The nuttiness of the walnuts pairs so well with the earthy parsley in this recipe! I love to toast my walnuts before making this pesto to really bring out the flavor of the walnuts. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s very easy to learn How to Toast Walnuts! I highly recommend it in this recipe.
Here’s what you’ll need
Ingredients:
- Parsley
- Olive Oil
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Salt
Equipment:
- Food processor
- Measuring cup
FAQs and Tips
It’s best to store homemade pesto in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator to keep it as fresh as possible.
Since there are no preservatives in homemade pesto, use it within one week. You will have to stir it before use.
Yes! Freezing homemade pesto is a great way to extend its shelf life. I like to spoon pesto into a silicone ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Then, place in a freezer safe bag or container until ready to use. Just thaw the portion that you need! Frozen pesto will last up to 4 months!
You sure can. Basil, cilantro, arugula, and kale all make great substitutions for parsley. You can swap them out or use a combination of these greens!
I typically opt for a mild nut like walnuts over pine nuts, because pine nuts are SO expensive. Plus, I always have walnuts on hand. However, pine nuts can definitely be used! Almonds and pecans are another good option!
You definitely can. I actually prefer the taste of pesto without cheese (gasp! I know.) because I think it lets the herbs, olive oil and seasonings shine through. However, you can easily add parmesan cheese to this recipe!
Looking for ways to use pesto? Try these recipes
- Try my Prosciutto Wrapped Pesto Shrimp Appetizer for an easy appetizer!
- Pesto Zoodles with Bacon and Roasted Tomatoes
- Pesto, quinoa, and chicken come together in my easy Chicken Pesto Quinoa Bowls that are great for meal prep!
- Baked Sweet Potato Wedges are topped with vegan parsley pesto for a delicious snack or appetizer recipe!
- Drizzle pesto on top of these Cabbage Steaks for a tasty vegetable side dish!
More Homemade Pesto Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Vegan Parsley Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped parsley (about 50g from 1 bunch)
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (roughly chopped (56g))
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine parsley, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture is smooth and reaches desired consistency (at least 1/2 cup up to 3/4 cup).
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on June 16, 2015 and updated on July 12, 2020 with new photos, tips and tricks to help you make this easy vegan parsley walnut pesto perfectly every time!
I’m Megan
A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…
Wow, this looks delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I LOVE, love, love pesto! I recently came across an organic sundried tomato basil pesto at Costco and I’m in love! I would highly recommend it. Pesto, whether the traditional type or the not-so-traditional tomato type, just makes everything better!
Thanks Sara! I kind of want to slather pesto on anything and everything now haha. I’m headed to Costco today so I’m definitely going to check out the sundried tomato pesto! Thanks for the recommendation 🙂
Hi, This pesto looks delicious. I too am a big fan. I love how it’s so versatile, I often make mine with spinach when I don’t have enough herbs to hand! Lovely post, keep up the good work on the blog.
Thank you Daire! Pesto does take quite a bit of herbs so I love your spinach version! Great idea!
….so I shared your post and my silly Dad say, “get rid of the parsley and pesto and it wouldn’t be too bad!” lol (he likes walnuts:)) My daughter uses parsley, I use spinach, but I’m going to try your version, it’s so pretty, after all. Then dad says, “whats Megnut?” to which Mom relpies, “maybe the opposite of nutmeg/” hehe, and this conversation is going on, on my share of your blog! Moms and Dads are so amusing:)
omg this seriously made me laugh out loud! Sooo funny! Parents are super funny that way! Also I’ve had a few people ask me this week what Megnut was so your dad is not alone 😉 thanks for the chuckle!!
How long does this pesto keep for?
Hi Virginia – It should keep in the refrigerator about a week.
Hello! I don’t know what went wrong but my pesto came out so weird. The walnut flavor is way strong and I’m not sure if tart or bitter is the right description for the flavor. Maybe I chopped the walnuts too small so it was packed in the measuring cup too much? I added more parsley and that really didn’t help much. I really hope you will see this to help me out. I did follow the instructions exactly, but I didn’t know if the cups of parsley were to be packed or loose, and I did packed since all the other pesto recipes I’ve tried are packed. please advise and thanks!
Hi Zarmene! There could be a few reasons for this. Did you happen to try any of the walnuts before putting them in the pesto? Did they taste bitter on their own by chance? Sometimes that happens with walnuts. It could also be the oil – what kind of oil did you use? You can try adding a pinch of sugar to the pesto to see if that takes away the bitter taste.
Amazing recipe!! I’m on a budget so I used sunflower oil instead of olive and sunflower seeds instead of walnuts and it turned out great!
I love pesto and usually make it with basil. There was so much parsley in the garden, so I decided to look up a recipe. This is great! Thank you. I try to have as much pesto on hand as possible – it goes on so much!!
So glad you enjoyed it Lynn! It’s one of my favorites – I always have so much leftover parsley from recipes that parsley pesto is always being made in our house!
This is a weekly recipe in our home! My husband and toddler LOVE it! I use cashews instead of walnuts, and it comes out great!! Thank you 🙂
I make this once a week! It’s so amazing and simple! I do sub a couple of ingredients with our family’s preferences: cashews instead of walnuts, avocado oil instead of olive – and it is still great!! Thank you!
Can you freeze this?
Yes, you can freeze it. I either freeze it in ice cube trays or plastic freezer bags that I spread flat so I can break off a chunk and either let it defrost or reheat it easily.
This was delicious!!!! I was afraid my bunch of parsley would wilt and die and went looking for a recipe so that didn’t happen. This pesto was a perfect solution. I love to spread it on a toasted whole grain tortilla with tomatoes and red onion for a yummy breakfast.
Will definitely make it a standard in my household.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Laurelea! I always find myself with extra parsley so this is definitely one of my go-to’s to use it up!
My daughter has been diagnosed with gluten and dairy intolerance and she never touches meat. She loves pesto and I could not give her the one she loves from Costco anymore. I made this pesto recipe tonight and just doubled the garlic and added some wilted basil that I had in the fridge. It is OUTSTANDING! We all love it! Thank you so much!!!!!
I’m so glad your family liked this recipe, Armand! I appreciate you coming back and leaving a review! After my celiac diagnosis, I was having such a hard time processing dairy and eggs so you’ll find a good amount of dairy-free recipes here if you are ever looking for other recipes for your daughter. Just let me know what I can help you find!