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Are you up to your ears in garden zucchini yet? How about a fresh-tasting Zucchini Pesto to help you get through it? It's quick, easy, oil-free, vegan and delicious!
I wish I can say that I'm growing the garden of my dreams, but things aren't going as planned. I really want to have that green thumb, but my plants seem to hate me. Well, except for my bell peppers...they really love me this year, and I have a colorful selection of them everywhere.
However, my neighbors, THEY have the garden of MY dreams, and it's overflowing with fresh fruit and vegetables. I get to see it every day from my kitchen window. On the positive side, I get to enjoy the fruits of their labor (literally).
They are always dropping off a basket of goodies for us, and around this time of year, they start loading us up with zucchini. I don't mind at all, because I love making zucchini boats, zucchini corn fritters, zoodles, and this zucchini pesto!
Why Oil-Free?
Traditional pesto is made with lots of olive oil, and although I'm not oil-free, I don't like to overdo it. Especially, because I eat a hefty serving of pesto almost daily.
So, I learned how to make a tasty oil-free version with the classic flavors that I love. It's not exactly the same, but I feel so much better eating it without the oil. It's just as tasty too!
Making zucchini pesto wasn't my clever idea, I was inspired by this recipe on Epicurious. It's not a vegan recipe, but I loved the idea.
I typically use avocado for pesto (like in this avocado pesto pasta), but zucchini seemed like a nice change. The results were fantastic! It had such a nice texture and the freshest taste. I've been hooked ever since! It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare too. My kind of recipe!
Pesto without cheese?
Yessiree, it's possible! You don't need dairy to have a cheesy tasting pesto. Just add a little nooch (a.k.a nutritional yeast) and you'll be in pesto heaven!
Nooch is a straight-up vegan miracle for foodies and it should be in everyone's pantry. If you'd like to learn more about it and how to use it, check out this article by Cadry's Kitchen.
So there you have it... a healthy, vegan, and oil-free version of the well-known classic. Go enjoy it... guilt-free! I know I will!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Zucchini Pesto, I’d love to hear what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Recipe
Summer Zucchini Pesto (Oil-Free & Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves , tightly packed
- 1 cup zucchini , peeled & diced
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice , freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast , more to taste
- 1-2 cloves garlic , more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt , more to taste (or preferred salt)
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients (except the water) to a blender or food processor. Pulse for 10-20 times to combine and chop. Add the water as needed, and keep pulsing until you've reached desired consistency. I prefer my pesto with texture, but if you want it smooth, just blend on high for 30-60 seconds. Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.
- Store in airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Amelia
Do you think yellow summer squash could successfully replace the zucchini?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Amelia, I haven't tried it, but I think it could work. The flavor will be different but I'm sure it'll still taste good. 🙂
Amelia
I did try it and I enjoyed it with the yellow squash. Thank you for the recipe 🙂 Do you think this could be successfully frozen?
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad it worked with the yellow squash! I haven't tried freezing it but I think it should be ok. I'd love to know how it turns out if you do.
Michelle Giroux
Do you know how much dried basil to use instead of fresh?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Michelle, I wouldn't recommend dried basil for this recipe. The fresh basil is needed for its flavor, color, and texture. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Amber
This was delicious! I cut the pine nuts in half and it was still creamy and tasty. We had it on Ezekiel toast with lettuce and summer tomatoes 😍
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it! Sounds so good with the tomatoes and toast. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Tia B Good
I have done this with both walnuts and pistachios. And today I added about an inch of ginger and it is amazing. This has been a once a week this summer sauce.
Melissa Huggins
Oh, this is so great to hear! Thank you for sharing your feedback. It's so helpful for anyone who can't have pine nuts. I must try it with the pistachios and ginger. Sounds insanely good! 🙂
Autumn
Can I use cooked zucchini?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Autumn, I haven't tried it but I think it could work with sauteéd zucchini. Just enough to lightly brown them. You might have to use less liquid in the recipe too. I hope this helps. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. 🙂
Danielle
Can this be frozen?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Danielle, I have frozen pesto before, but I haven't tried freezing the zucchini pesto yet. I'm going to make another batch soon and I'll give it a try. I think it should work fine though.
Lori
This is sooooo good!, I have made it over and over again and it tastes so fresh and alive! Sometimes we put it on zoodles and, oh my goodness, it is a little bit of heaven!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. It means a lot to me. I'm so happy you liked it. I'm a pesto addict so I'm happy to have a healthy version to eat. Have a great Sunday ????
Cadry
What a great way to use zucchini! When I first went vegan, there's a salad dressing I used to make with zucchini. It adds a nice creaminess without overwhelming with its own flavor. Thank you for including a link to my nutritional yeast post!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Cadry, oh yum, a dressing with zucchini sounds delish! I must test that out. I love your nutritional yeast post because it's so informative and can help a lot of newbies out 🙂
Emily
Can I use an arugula/spinach mix instead of basil?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Emily, I haven't tried it myself, but I have seen pesto recipes that use arugula and spinach. It's worth a shot. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you (if you make it). Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Trish
Reporting back: An incredible light taste that bursted with summer freshness! And an added huge bonus - NO added oil! Made with lovely whole plant based foods. Can't thank you enough for a great tasting pesto that's healthy! THANK YOU!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Trish, thank you so much for sharing your feedback! I've been making so much of it this summer. I love that it's healthy too! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
Trish
This recipe looks fabulous! I love pesto but don't make it often due to the high oil content. I won't eat that much oil so your recipe has come to the rescue! Can't wait to try this. Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Trish! The oil was a big deterrent for me too. Now I can eat pesto all the time. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week 🙂
Jen
Is there a substitute for pine nuts? I try to avoid them because they are high in lectins.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jen, yes, you can use walnuts or sunflower seeds. I've seen it made with cashews too, but I haven't tried it yet. Have a great weekend!