A refreshing Parsley & Mint Vegan Pesto made of parsley and mint, lemon, garlic and olive oil, with nutritional yeast for a depth of flavour.

Often we purchase parsley to beautifully garnish a dish and then are left with a big bunch in the refrigerator. This pesto is the perfect recipe to use up your fresh parsley before it wilts.

Pestos that depart from the common basil variety typically have a more sophisticated depth of flavour. Using herbs such parsley and mint in pesto is an easy way to elevate a dish from basic to extraordinary.

Pretty much all fresh herbs taste lovely together, though softer leafy herbs generally work better than the tough spindly kind. Think cilantro, mint, parsley, basil rather than thyme and rosemary etc…though these tougher herbs can work too, usually when paired with a leafy herb or greens.

Ingredients in Parsley & Mint Vegan Pesto

Fresh Parsley (you can use Italian Parsley or Curled Leaf, whichever you have on hand)
Fresh Mint
Unsalted cashes or pine nuts (you can use pretty much any nut you’d like)
Garlic
Nutritional yeast (I use Everland Nutritional Yeast)
Fresh lemon juice
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil (I use a high quality olive oil. The best in my opinion is Acropolis Organic)
Water (this is so the recipe uses a bit less oil and allows you to control how thick or thin you want it)

Making This Pesto Recipe

To a food processor add parsley, mint, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast. (Or use a hand blender, or crush manually with a mortal and pestle.
Add olive oil and water until desire consistency is achieved. (Thicker for pasta and thinner if using as a pourable sauce).
Continue to blend with food processor or hand mixer (or with pestle and mortar).
Taste and add more salt, lemon juice and/or nutritional yeast if desired and mix.

Use in pasta or as dressing. Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Common Questions

What type of nuts can I use?

I used unsalted blanched cashews in this recipe. You can use any nut really! Try walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.

how long will the pesto last in the fridge?

Homemade pesto has no preservatives so it only lasts for about 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Keep it in an air tight container so it remains fresh!

Can this pesto be frozen?

Yes! You can freeze this pesto, or any pesto for that matter. Freezing is a great way to preserve freshness and vibrancy of a delicious batch of pesto. Freeze pesto in ice cube trays if you want to use it to add flavour to various dishes. Or, freeze the pesto in a glass jar or other freezer-safe container if you want to use it in large quantities. It will keep in the freezer for up to six months.

How should I use this pesto?

The classic way to use pesto is of course on pasta, but you can use it in rice, or try it on my Easy Vegan Chicken, baked tofu, or as a dressing on a salad.