This Vegan Habanero and Basil Pesto is an easy and healthy recipe made with only 6 clean, real food ingredients. It's a spicy twist on traditional pesto that's dairy-free and can be prepared in about 5 minutes!{ Plant-Based | Raw | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Keto/Low Carb | Paleo-Friendly }
Take care when cutting the habanero peppers. Use gloves and wash hands thoroughly when finished; make sure you don't touch your eyes, etc. after handling them because they are extremely hot. Start with (1) pepper and add an additional one, if you prefer.
Prepare the pesto:
Add all ingredients to a Vitamix (with a "pulse" feature) or a food processor and pulse until the walnuts and basil is chopped and everything is well blended and to your preferred consistency.
Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Basil: You will need fresh basil for this recipe and make sure to "pack" it tightly into your measuring cup.Walnuts: These could be substituted with another nut such as pine nuts or even almonds.Avocado Oil: Can be substituted with organic extra-virgin olive oil in the same amount.Nutritional Yeast: I added this ingredient as a dairy-free substitute for Parmesean cheese normally added to pesto, which gives it a "cheesy" flavor.Habanero Peppers: These are extremely hot. If you've never used habanero peppers before, I would suggest starting with just (1) and adding an additional one if you prefer.Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, it can always be substituted with sea salt.Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately 1/2 cup of pesto. Nutritional information is for (1) tablespoon which is (1) serving.