This easy vegan arugula-basil pesto is aromatic, savory, and fresh — and ready in less than 10 minutes. Instead of oil, aquafaba creates the creamy consistency. The perfect addition to pasta, sandwiches, or bowls.
I love pesto — but what I don't love about store-bought pesto is the amount of oil. Of course, oil carries flavor, but ready-made pestos often overdo it and end up far too greasy for my taste. So today I'm sharing a lighter option: a delicious, homemade vegan arugula pesto without oil.
The trick: aquafaba, the cooking liquid from chickpeas. It makes the pesto surprisingly creamy and helps all the ingredients come together beautifully — no added fat needed. The result is a fresh, savory pesto with a gentle kick from the arugula and a pleasant nuttiness from the pine nuts or walnuts. It's super quick to whip up and a huge hit in our house — especially when there's a bunch of arugula in the fridge that needs to be used up.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Oil-free: A lighter green pesto variation using aquafaba instead of oil.
- Quick to make: Ready in less than 10 minutes.
- Big on flavor: Arugula brings a pleasant peppery kick, basil adds freshness.
- Versatile: Perfect for pasta, sandwiches, bowls, or roasted vegetables.
Ingredient Notes
- Pine nuts or walnuts - They bring the classic pesto nuttiness. Walnuts are a budget-friendly alternative to pine nuts, which is why I used a 50/50 mix in my recipe. You can also use only pine nuts or only walnuts.
- Arugula - The star of the recipe. It adds a slightly peppery bite to the pesto.
- Basil - Adds freshness and rounds out the flavor. By the way, you can also use the basil stems.
- Garlic - For that classic pesto seasoning.
- Nutritional yeast - Traditional pesto usually contains parmesan, which is replaced here with nutritional yeast. It gives the pesto a slightly cheesy, savory flavor.
- Lemon juice - Brings acidity and lifts all the flavors.
- Aquafaba (chickpea water) - It replaces the oil and makes the pesto creamy. Of course, you can use a good olive oil instead if it doesn't need to be oil-free. Ideally, the aquafaba (or oil) is chilled when you add it, so the bright colors stay vibrant and the pesto comes together better.
- Salt & pepper - To taste. If you want to use the pesto as a pasta sauce, feel free to season it a bit more generously.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Toast the pine nuts or walnuts in a dry pan (no oil) for about 2 minutes, until they take on a little color and smell fragrant. Let them cool briefly.
- Step 2: Wash the arugula and basil and spin dry thoroughly. Add the nuts, herbs, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor and blend.
- Step 3: With the blender running, gradually add the aquafaba until a creamy consistency forms.
- Step 4: Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the arugula-basil pesto to a clean jar. It keeps for about 5–6 days in the fridge.
Note: Because of the aquafaba, the arugula-basil pesto may turn a slightly brownish-gray color after a short time. That's completely normal and doesn't affect the flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan, oil-free arugula pesto is one of those all-rounder recipes you can serve with so many dishes:
- with pasta or gnocchi and a little vegan parmesan
- as a spread for bread topped with tofu scramble
- with roasted vegetables
- in bowls or salads
- as a sauce for wraps or sandwiches
FAQ
Aquafaba is the cooking liquid from canned chickpeas. It's fairly thick thanks to its starch and protein content — which makes it a perfect base for this vegan, oil-free pesto.
I haven't frozen this particular recipe yet, but pesto generally freezes well. Little tip: freeze it in ice cube trays so you always have small portions on hand to quickly level up a dish.
The reason can be the aquafaba, since it's usually not a clear liquid. That's totally fine and doesn't affect the flavor. Make sure to smell it first, if it has been sitting in the fridge for a few days. If the auafaba smells very intense, discard it.
More Sauce Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you give my vegan arugula pesto recipe a try. If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe, and tag me on instagram (#veggiejam) with your recreation.
PrintRecipe
Vegan Arugula Pesto (Oil-Free)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 small jar (approx. ¾ cup / 200 ml) 1x
Description
This easy vegan arugula-basil pesto is aromatic, savory, and fresh — and ready in less than 10 minutes. Instead of oil, aquafaba creates the creamy consistency. The perfect addition to pasta, sandwiches, or bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (50 g) loosely packed arugula
- 1 cup (25 g) loosely packed basil
- ⅓ cup (40 g) pine nuts (and/or walnuts)*
- 2 tbsp (10 g) nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt**
- ¼ cup cold aquafaba*** (or olive oil)
Instructions
- Wash the arugula and basil and spin them dry very thoroughly.
- Heat a small pan over medium heat. Toast the pine nuts (or walnuts) for about 2 minutes, until they've taken on a little color and smell aromatic. Transfer to a small plate so the residual heat in the pan doesn't burn them.
- Add the arugula, basil leaves, pine nuts and walnuts, along with the other ingredients (except the aquafaba), to a food processor and blend.
- With the machine running, gradually add the cold aquafaba.
- Season with salt, transfer to a small jar, seal airtight, and store in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Notes
* I used half pine nuts and half walnuts.
** Keep in mind that chickpea/bean water (aquafaba) is often salted, so start with ¼ teaspoon salt. If you're using the pesto as a pasta sauce, it should be a bit saltier.
*** Aquafaba is the liquid from canned beans. It's usually slightly cloudy and can cause the pesto to take on a slightly brownish color — which isn't a problem at all. Depending on how liquid you like it, use a little less or more in this recipe.
This post is also available in German (Deutsch).
Comments
No Comments