Vegan Cashew Basil Dressing (+ Pesto Version)

This easy 5-minute vegan cashew basil dressing, sauce, or dip will soon become your new best friend. Ready in no time, it elevates your salads and roasted veggies, and you can even turn it into a vegan cashew basil pesto version to serve with your pasta. Easy, refreshing, nutritious, there are only good reasons to make it!

While making my veggie beet patties the other day, I figured they would go well with a green goddess dressing. With just a handful of nourishing plant-based ingredients, this cashew basil dressing is garlicky, packed with fresh flavors and ready within minutes. I love it drizzled over salads, fresh or roasted vegetables.

You can also turn it into a vegan cashew basil pesto to serve with your pasta, by simply adding one ingredient (read below). This perfect 2 in 1 dressing or pesto recipe is healthy and nutritious, vegan, naturally gluten-free, and sure to bring out the inner goddess in you.

This vegan cashew basil dressing is:

• Quick and easy to make (5 minute preparation!)
• Vegan + dairy-free + gluten-free
• Healthy & nutritious

5 simple ingredients:

• Cashews or cashew butter for a quicker version! I recommend the cashew butter for the dressing and the soaked cashews for the pesto version so you get more texture to it.
• Fresh basil leaves
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Sea salt

For a vegan pesto version: add 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast to replace the parmesan cheese you usually find in a classic pesto recipe.

How to make vegan cashew basil dressing?

If using whole cashews, make sure you soak them in water for 30 minutes minimum and ideally a couple of hours beforehand so they become soft and tender.

1. Place all the ingredients at once in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Slowly add water, one Tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

That’s it! SO quick, easy, and perfectly healthy!

Turn it into a vegan basil cashew pesto!

This dressing is actually 2 recipes in one! You can indeed easily turn it into a vegan basil pesto in just a few simple steps:

1. Use raw (soaked) cashews rather than cashew butter. This will give more texture to the pesto.
2. Make sure you add 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast, that will replace the parmesan cheese flavor you usually find in a classic pesto.
3. Skip the water! This ensures that you have a thick, chunky texture.

Serve along with…

…so many things! This vegan cashew basil dressing is perfect drizzled over a salad or some baked potatoes. Make it thicker (add more cashew butter) and you can use it as a dip to serve along with veggie patties or in a grilled cheese sandwich. Here are a few ideas:

• Veggie Beet Patties
• Red Lentil Patties
• Grilled Veggie Gyros
• Quinoa Stuffed Eggplants
• Garlic Herb Potato Wedges

More salad dressing and pesto recipes:

• Roasted Beet Pesto
• Almond Basil Pesto
• Green Tahini Sauce

Vegan Cashew Basil Dressing

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 jar 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Diet: Vegan

This easy 5-minute vegan cashew basil dressing will soon become your new best friend. Ready in no time, it elevates your salads and roasted veggies, and you can even turn it into a vegan cashew basil pesto version to serve with your pasta.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ cup (65g) raw cashews or unsweetened cashew butter
• 2 cups (500 ml) fresh basil leaves, packed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2–4 Tablespoons water

For the vegan pesto version, add:

• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

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Instructions

1. If using whole cashews, place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes minutes minimum or ideally 2 hours.
2. Drain, place cashews in a food processor (or cashew butter directly) together with basil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Process until smooth, adding water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency and stopping to scrape sides of the food processor as needed.

For the vegan pesto version:

1. Add nutritional yeast to the other ingredients (minus the water) and process until nearly smooth. You want to keep a thicker and chunkier texture than you would have for the dressing.

Notes

To store: Transfer pesto to a mason jar with lid on, then chill up to 2 days.

Dairy-Free, Dips, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Nuts, Quick & Easy, Vegan, Vegetarian, Year Round

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Vegan Cashew Basil Dressing, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!