When you think of pesto two things probably come to mind, pasta and calories. Well I’ve got good news for you, after trying out several versions of vegan pesto, I have hit the jackpot. This recipe is filled with raw greens, eggplant, nuts, very little oil and it is incredibly tasty!
I put this pesto on everything, sandwhiches, pasta, salads and my favorite; spread onto a pita, topped with daiya mozzarella cheese, then baked at 450F for 7-9 minutes, it’s like a mini pizza! My three year old can’t get enough of this pesto, in fact she eats it by the spoonful!
Recipe inspired by: Roasted Eggplant Pesto at Fat Free Vegan
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, tips cut off and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup whole almonds or walnuts
4 sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp of olive oil
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
2 cups basil leaves, packed tightly
1-1/2 cup of baby spinach
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp of salt
Directions:
Set the oven to 400 degrees and bake the eggplant face down for about 35 minutes, take a fork and poke the back of the eggplants a few times. Check your eggplant at 35 minutes and if it isn’t soft and a bit mushy let it cook a little longer. Once it’s done remove it from the oven, allow it to cool and then peel off the skin.
Meanwhile, in your food processor add the almonds or walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and the garlic and chop it up a bit. Then add in the eggplant and puree that. Next add the basil, spinach, nutritional yeast and salt and puree that to the consistency you like. This recipe makes a big batch, I like to make a lot because I put it in glass jars, freeze it and take it out as needed.
