Vegan Pesto

This is my all-time favorite go-to sauce to make. Perfect for pastas, sandwiches, as a topper on hummus, the options are endless! Completely vegan and trust me… you won’t be able to stop eating it.

1 cup tightly-packed basil

1/2 cup cashews (soaked overnight)*

1/4 teaspoon salt (I prefer to use sea salt flakes)

Pepper to taste

1 medium garlic clove, roasted**

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2/3 cup nooch*** (sub parmesan if you ain’t vegan and you don’t have any nooch)

1/4 cup EVOO

1/2 veggie bouillon cube (optional, but I highly recommend!)

small handful of spinach (also optional, but recommended)

Combine all above listed ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Consistency will be thick (as pictured above). Leave it thick if you prefer(great for sandwiches), or blend in cold water one tablespoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency. (I use cold water because I like my pesto to be bright green! Feel free to use pasta water if you prefer, but know that it will darken the color of the pesto).

*To soak cashews overnight: Place cashews inside a tupperware container, cover with water and seal with lid. Let sit in fridge overnight until ready to make pesto. If you forgot to let them soak or don’t have time, no worries! You can also use raw cashews, the pesto just won’t be quite as creamy. (But still delish!)

**I prefer to roast my garlic, as it’s better for your digestion, breath and also your root chakras. Feel free to use raw garlic if you prefer! To roast your garlic, heat a skillet over medium heat with a teaspoon or two of EVOO, roast garlic on each side about 1-2 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.

***Don’t know what nooch is? Nutritional yeast, or as Bad Manners calls it ‘healthy cheesy cheetos dust’, is one of the most delicious ways to get your B12, all while adding loads of flavor to anything you cook. It’s the absolute best on popcorn, vegan gravy, and on salads. One tablespoon generally has about 3-5 micrograms of B12, and while it may seem freaky at first, before long you’ll find yourself using tablespoon after tablespoon of this golden dust (and maybe even shoveling it into your mouth by the spoonful).