This Wild Garlic Pesto is easy to make in 5 minutes and tastes amazing with crispy vegan Gnocchi, Italian Pasta, vegetables, or other dishes and more! It is such a versatile pesto with wonderful garlic flavor that is wholesome, plant-based, nut-free, dairy-free & so delicious! Perfect to use as a sauce, spread or marinade.
Easy Homemade Pesto Recipe
I’m a big fan of simple homemade pesto recipes that can be enjoyed with anything at any time! I totally love that it comes together in no time, using only healthy and fresh ingredients so you know exactly what’s in it! Plus it keeps well in the fridge for a long while so you always have a quick sauce on hand. Anyway, this wild garlic pesto is not only perfect for gnocchi, risotto, or pasta but it makes also a great spread on toast, bread, homemade vegan naan, or fresh baguette. You can even use it to refine soups or sauces for a casserole, drizzle over salads, on top of pizza, and much more. The possibilities are endless!
Quick 5-Minute Wild Garlic Pesto
So today I present you my favorite 5-minute easy vegan wild garlic pesto which is just perfect for all these options! While this pesto recipe is not only simple and delicious it is also very healthy and uses less oil/ fat than traditional recipes. It contains 100 grams of wild garlic which is both an antibiotic and antibacterial, and is known for helping to reduce blood pressure!
Where can I find wild garlic for pesto?
At this time of the year, there is no need to buy garlic in the supermarket because you can find its counterpart “wild garlic” in almost any woodland or even in your own garden. Wild garlic likes damp ground and can be found particularly in the cool, shady spots of woodland. You’ll probably smell it before you see it so just follow your nose.
Garlic Pesto Variations
For those who cannot get wild garlic you can simply substitute it with 2-3 regular garlic cloves and 100 grams of fresh greens like basil or parsley (see my garlic basil parsley pesto recipe). It will look and taste different but will be delicious in its own way. You could also experiment with different nuts and seeds and find the ones that you like best. For a nut-free wild garlic pesto, use only seeds, such as sunflower seeds and pine nuts like I did, or try pepitas or hemp seeds. Otherwise, you can also use walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, or whatever nut you like!
How to make Wild Garlic Pesto
This recipe requires just 5 minutes and simple ingredients that are easy to find in your pantry, garden, or in the forest/woodland. They’re:
- wild garlic leaves
- fresh parsley (optional)
- sunflower seeds (see options above)
- pine nuts (see options above)
- olive oil
- lemon
- nutritional yeast (for cheesy flavor instead of regular parmesan cheese)
- sea salt and black pepper
Start by toasting the pine nuts in a pan for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden-brown. Make sure you give the pan a little shake every so often. Next, add the wild garlic, toasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt to a food processor or blender. Blend/mix on high until a paste forms. Then slowly pour in the olive oil while the mixer is running if possible and scrape down the sides as needed. Add a tiny bit of water as needed, until your desired consistency is reached. Finally, taste and adjust salt and pepper and give your wild garlic pesto one last quick blitz.
Vegan Wild Garlic Pesto with Gnocchi
You can use your homemade pesto immediately or keep in the fridge for later. I served my wild garlic pesto here with crispy pan-fried vegan gnocchi, fresh heirloom tomatoes, basil, and vegan parmesan cheese.
If you don’t want to use store-bought gnocchi, you can easily make your own according to this recipe. However, if you would like to make your dish even more special, check out my recipe for stuffed gnocchi with spinach pesto (simply replace the spinach pesto with the wild garlic pesto). Anyway, no matter which option you choose, you can always pan-fry the gnocchi to golden-brown and crispy perfection! To do that, simply heat a bit of oil or vegan butter and cook them on each side for about 5 minutes. It’s so simple but so tasty!
How long will this pesto keep?
The pesto will keep in the fridge for a week or two. Just make sure to cover the top with a layer of olive. You can also freeze it four up to 3 months if you like. I suggest freezing it in small containers like ice cube boxes, so you can take out a portion at a time.
I hope you’ll love this Wild Garlic Pesto! It’s:
- Vegan (dairy-free)
- Nut-free
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- Garlicky
- Healthy
- Delicious
- & SO easy to make
More amazing vegan Gnocchi recipes you’ll surely love:
- Crispy Gnocchi with Garlic Mushrooms
- Stuffed Gnocchi with Spinach Pesto
- Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Gnocchi Vegetable Stir-fry
- Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi
- Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
If you try this Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and peas, please leave me a comment below sharing how you liked this recipe! And if you take a photo of your dish and share it on Instagram, please make sure to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka, so I won’t miss your post! Happy cooking!
Wild Garlic Pesto with Gnocchi (Vegan)
Author:Ingredients
- 3.5 oz (100 g) wild garlic leaves
- ½ bunch (20 g) fresh parsley optional
- ⅔ cup (40 g) sunflower seeds or pepitas (*see notes)
- ⅓ cup (40 g) pine nuts or walnuts (*see notes)
- ¼ cup (50 g) olive oil + more to cover for storage
- 1 lemon juice
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp sea salt or to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp water optional as needed
To Serve (optional)
- vegan gnocchi
- fresh tomatoes
- basil
- vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
Wild Garlic Pesto
- See step-by-step photos above!
- Toast the pine nuts in a pan for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden-brown, giving the pan a little shake every so often.
- To a food processor or blender, add the wild garlic, toasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt and blend/mix on high until a paste forms. Then slowly pour in the olive oil while the mixer is running if possible and scrape down the sides as needed. Add 1-2 tbsp water as needed, or until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust salt and pepper and give your pesto one last quick mix.
- Use immediately or transfer to jars and cover with an extra drizzle of olive oil so it keeps fresh in the fridge.
Gnocchi
- I served my pesto here with crispy gnocchi, fresh tomatoes, basil, and vegan parmesan cheese.
- You can either make classic homemade vegan gnocchi or try my pesto stuffed gnocchi. You can find the instructions for crispy pan-fried gnocchi here.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- The pesto keeps in the fridge for up to 1 or 2 weeks when the top is covered with a layer of olive oil. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. I suggest freezing it in small containers like ice cube boxes, so you can take out a portion at a time.
- If you don't have any wild garlic check out my basil garlic parsley pesto recipe for an option.
- You can also use other seeds and nuts, depending on your taste. For a nut-free pesto, use only seeds, such as sunflower seeds and pine nuts like I did, or try pepitas or hemp seeds. Otherwise, you can also use walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, or whatever nut you like!
- Please read my blog post for more information, tips, and step-by-step photos!
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Very good 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Das Rezept ist sehr einfach und mega lecker – speziell mit den Tomaten und noch etwas Pinienkernen. Die Pesto ist sehr zitronig; ich persönlich mag das sehr. Wer mehr Kräuter mag kann einfach weniger Zitrone (z.B. nur eine halbe).
Das freut mich sehr! Vielen Dank! 🙂
This was so delish! Definitely a new staple in my house. The pesto is thick and creamy and flavorful, and can really work well with a variety of foods. I did it over zoodles with cherry tomato and broccoli, and it was amazing! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! So glad you love this recipe! 🙂
i don’t usually write posts or comments on articles but your blog was so convincing and is written with such diligence i had to praise.great work!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! 😊