Pesto is easier than you think

When we first went vegan, there weren’t many vegan pestos available from the shops. We initially thought what used to be one of our go-to quick weeknight meals would become much more complex. The idea of making our own pesto sauces seemed like a bit of a stretch, but the reality couldn’t be further from our worries. Making homemade pesto is not only quick and easy, but it also tastes so much better.

Nothing beats the flavour of homemade pesto

Ever since we figured this out, we’ve been experimenting with all different flavours of homemade pesto. One of our favourites is this sun-dried tomato pesto recipe. This red pesto paste is made using sun-dried tomatoes and black olives, which makes it really rich and delicious. You can make this up in advance and keep it tightly jared in the fridge for a couple weeks. This makes quick and flavourful meals a total breeze.

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy our red pesto paste

You can do the classic and mix it together with some penne or farfalle pasta to make a super quick dinner in a pinch. When making pesto pasta I love to add in extras like cherry tomatoes and spinach, and then top it with roasted chickpeas for an extra crunch and protein. It’s such a simple recipe, but it’s always so delicious! I also love to have it as a breakfast spread across some crusty toast. Another option would be to make a light snack by topping some rice cakes with vegan cream cheese and then drizzling our homemade red pesto on top.

This homemade red pesto recipe is:

Simple and easy
Packed full of delicious flavours
Better than shop-bought pesto
Perfect for food prepping

If you liked this recipe why not try:

Print Recipe

Sun-dried tomato & black olive red pesto

This red pesto sauce is one of our favourite homemade pestos. It's full of delicious rich flavours from the sun-dried tomatoes and olives. The perfect recipe to whip up for delicious quick weeknight dinners.

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 5

Servings: 4 portions

Calories: 190kcal

Ingredients

4 sun-dried tomatoes
20 black olives pitted
30 g walnut pieces
15 g basil leaves
1 clove garlic roughly chopped
3 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 whole lemon juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Method

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend for a few minutes until smooth.

Notes

3.7g protein
8.2g carbs
22.5g fat

*calories and nutritonal information are estimated per serving

Homemade Pesto Recipe – Sun-dried Tomato & Black Olive Pesto