Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (Oil-Free Option!)
This Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is a fully vegan pesto that is flavorful, easy to make, and super versatile. Use this as a pasta sauce, a spread on sandwiches, or a dip with your favorite veggies! Plus, there's even an option to make it oil-free! *Note that From Start to Finish is an estimate that includes 20 minutes to prep your ingredients and soak your tomatoes in step 1, and 10 minutes to complete the rest of the recipe. If using tomatoes that come packed in oil you are able to skip step 1 and will only need about 10 minutes to complete the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes - (for an oil-free option buy the ones in a bag that are not packed in oil, but the kind that come in a jar with oil will also work!)
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ¾ cup fresh basil
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- If using sun-dried tomatoes that did NOT come in oil: add your sun-dried tomatoes to a small bowl with very hot water, ideally just enough water to cover the tomatoes. Let them soak in the hot water for 20 minutes, or until they become very soft. (If you are using oil-packed tomatoes, skip this step!)
- Remove the tomatoes from the water, place the tomatoes in a food processor, and set the soaking water off to the side (we will be using it later). If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, do the same thing but remove the tomatoes from the oil and set the oil off to the side. Add the garlic, pine nuts, basil, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, and salt to the food processor. Process/blend until a chunky paste is formed (this usually takes me about a minute).
- Continue to process your pesto, adding 1 tablespoon at a time of the reserved soaking water OR reserved oil until your desired consistency is reached. I usually end up using between 4-8 tablespoon of the water.
- Use as desired and enjoy!
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