Name: Vegan Arugula Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 5 ounces baby arugula; 0.333 cup walnuts; 2 cloves garlic; 1 lemon; 0.5 tsp kosher salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 0.5 cup olive oil

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Vegan Arugula Pesto

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Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Instructions

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Instructions

Add baby arugula to the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 20 seconds, until leaves are broken down. Stop to scrape down sides, as needed.

Add walnuts, peeled garlic cloves and zest and juice of 1 lemon into the bowl. Pulse for another 10 to 15 seconds.

Add in ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper. With the lid secured, turn the food processor on low and slowly drizzle in ½ cup olive oil.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Toast Your Walnuts First 🌰
Lightly toast walnuts in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes before blending to deepen their flavor and add richness to your pesto without any bitterness.
Blanch Your Arugula for Brightness 🥬
Quickly blanch the arugula for 30 seconds in boiling salted water, then shock in ice water to preserve its vibrant green color and mellow its intense peppery bite slightly.
Emulsify with the Right Technique 🫒
Add olive oil slowly while blending and pulse gently to create a silky emulsion; over-processing will oxidize the oil and create a dull, bitter flavor.
Zest Before Juicing Your Lemon 🍋
Add lemon zest directly into the pesto before the juice to capture aromatic oils that provide complex citrus flavor beyond simple acidity.
Finish with Cold-Pressed Oil 🏆
Reserve a small amount of premium extra-virgin olive oil to stir in after blending to restore fresh, grassy notes that heat and blending can diminish.