Recipe: Poor Man's Vegan Pesto (over lentils)

I enjoyed pesto in my pre-vegan years, but the vegan versions I've tried have been time consuming, expensive (particularly with pine nuts and fresh basil), or complicated. Once, when eating leftover pasta, I tried using some ingredients from my cupboard to make a pesto-inspired seasoning. I enjoyed it so much that I started eating it regularly over lentils and rice (or quinoa). Most of the ingredients come out of the cupboard and the cost of the recipe is low, so I called it "Poor Man's Pesto," which is a great recipe for using leftovers or if you're feeling lazy. Click the "Print Friendly" button below for a printable or PDF version.




Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked brown rice or cooked quinoa
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup canned or cooked green lentils
• Dash of salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions:

• Add grains and lentils to a bowl.
• Top with remaining ingredients.
• Stir until nutritional yeast is creamy.

Tips:

• Makes one serving.
• If the seasoning doesn't look creamy, add a few more drops of oil or water to reach desired consistency.
• Omit the first two ingredients and use seasoning as a topping for other grains, beans, and/or pastas.
• Pairs well with veggies such as green beans and broccoli, especially if seasoned with garlic.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, why not sign up for our email list and get posts by email? Or if that's not your style, stay in the loop with an occasional newsletter instead.