Vegan Parsley Pesto Recipe & How To Store Fresh Basil

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Vegan parsley pesto is a plant based, dairy-free way to turn a mix of fresh herbs into a delicious dip. This vegan almond pesto is made with fresh basil and parsley. Great on it’s own as a dip, used as a sauce/marinade or mixed into a recipe to give it some pesto flavors.

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Pesto isn’t only for basil. Turns out it’s a great way to use up a whole bunch of leftover greens in the kitchen too.

Still have parsley leftover from the bunch you brought home? Add it to pesto. Don’t know what to do with leafy vegetable tops. Turn it into a carrot top pesto.

This vegan parsley pesto has all the flavors of your favorite pesto. It’s made with almonds and includes both basil and parsley, blended into a delicious dairy-free recipe.

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How to store fresh basil

To help fresh basil last longer at home, treat it like you would a bouquet of flowers.

Trim the stems and stand the basil upright in a container. For a full bunch of basil, I like using a glass jar or plastic container that is 32 ounces (quart size). You won’t need the lid so a tall glass could also be used.

Fill with enough water to cover the stems by an inch. Make sure the leaves are not under any water. If necessary, pour out some of the water or remove any lower leaves. Change the water every few days.

Loosely cover the top with a thin plastic bag. Like a produce bag from the grocery store.

This basil bouquet can be stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for ~7 days. Even though cold temperatures can make basil turn black, mine (which was fresh from the farmers market) lasted a good 2 weeks like this in the fridge.

Alternatively, you could use this plastic bag method or freeze fresh basil.

Ingredients

• sliced almonds – these are the thinner oblong shaped pieces. But since they’ll be blended into the pesto, you can substitute with slivered, chopped or whole almonds if necessary (the amount may need to be adjusted)
• cloves of garlic – roughly chopped
• hemp seeds
• nutritional yeast
• chili garlic sauce – this stuff is the best! Look for it in the ethnic foods aisle of the supermarket. It’s delicious on so many things, like spicy mayo sushi sauce & even sandwiches (swap out the harissa). *Due to a shortage of chili peppers this ingredient may not be available. You can make your own or substitute with a different kind of chili sauce.**
• scallions – use both the white and green parts. Slice into 1 inch pieces to make processing them easier.
• kosher salt & coarse black pepper
• basil leaves – remove the leaves from their stems and measure (dirty). Rinse and dry with a salad spinner. Followed by a kitchen/paper towel until completely dried.
• parsley – loosely packed. Cleaned the same as the basil.
• olive oil

How to make a vegan parsley pesto

1. Toast the almonds in a dry pan on the stove. Once fragrant, remove from heat to cool.
2. Use the food processor to chop the almonds and garlic. Working in batches, add the rest of the ingredients (except the oil) and pulse until completely chopped.
3. While the machine is running, use the feed tube or the section with tiny holes to stream in the olive oil.

What to do with leftover pesto or basil

No matter how well it’s stored, ignored basil can quickly turn unusable in the fridge. Here are some other recipes to make with fresh basil and ways to use up any leftover pesto.

• Sprinkle basil leaves onto a salad or onto cooked pizza
• Spread it on bread – topped this pesto toast (from slices of Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread) with cooked mushrooms or with vegetables and cheese on this open face toast
• Have a plant based snack with pesto flavored dehydrated zucchini chips. Made with zucchini slices and coated in a homemade nut-free vegan pesto sauce. You could also use leftovers of this parsley pesto recipe to make zucchini chips as well.
• Top a tart
• Serve dinner in less than 30 minutes with this flavorful basil turkey burger recipe. Seasoned with fresh herbs and two kinds of vegetables. These cast iron skillet turkey burgers are perfect for a quick, healthy, indoor/outdoor BBQ burger night, any time of the year.
• Use it to flavor a drink or cocktail

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