Avocado Pesto Without A Blender (Vegan + GF)

If you’d like to eat healthier but you’re having trouble finding time to make healthy food, try making this Avocado Pesto, which is easily made from scratch without even using a blender!

Another recipe that I accidentally created as a student with very limited cooking equipment, I really believe this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve for rushed weeknight dinners or a super easy lunch.

This avocado pesto is honestly so quick and easy to make and you don’t even need a blender! As long as they’re fairly ripe, all you need to make the avocados perfectly smooth and creamy is a simple piece of cutlery: the humble fork.

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Once you’ve finished mashing the avocado into a luxuriously creamy sauce, all you need to do is add a squeeze of tangy citrus, a handful of fragrant basil leaves, and a smattering of pine nuts and you’re good to go!

A little drizzle of good quality olive oil isn’t a bad idea either, neither is a touch of cheesy nutritional yeast, but the sauce will taste just as good without it.

And what’s great about this super easy avocado pesto is that it’s really healthy, and also highly customisable. It’s oil-free, you can use whatever type of pasta you want (I used brown rice penne), and you can add whatever vegetables you want.

For ease and convenience, I like add some frozen green peas when boiling the pasta, and you can also add greens like broccoli, spinach, or kale too. I then topped it off with some thinly sliced raw veg like peppery radishes, crunchy purple cabbage, sweet red peppers and nutty sugar snap peas.

You can also add chickpeas for extra protein, or whatever other protein you like. Edamame would work well too I think.

Coming together in around 20 minutes, this makes the perfect lazy weeknight dinner. Want more no-blender recipe ideas? You might like my sweet potato hummus or my lazy falafel!

Love pesto? Check out my:

• Edamame Pesto
• Creamy Sundried Tomato Pesto
• Creamy Pesto Pasta

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

5 from 1 vote

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Avocado Pesto Without A Blender (Vegan + GF)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

This Avocado Pesto is easily made from scratch without even using a blender!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: vegan avocado pasta, vegan avocado pesto

Servings: 2

Calories: 191 kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

• 2 portions pasta of choice (gluten-free if necessary)
• Two handfuls green peas (fresh or frozen)
• Greens of choice e.g. broccoli, spinach, kale

For the pesto:

• 2 ripe avocados
• Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Salt + pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

To serve (optional):

• Red peppers
• Purple cabbage
• Radishes
• Sugar snap peas
• Chickpeas

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to instructions on the packet (add the peas and other greens too, so you can cook them with the pasta and save energy/time/washing up)
2. Meanwhile, scoop avocado flesh out of the skins into a bowl and mash with a fork until a smooth paste forms (the riper they are the easier this will be)

3. Add the lemon juice, basil, salt + pepper and nutritional yeast, and mix well

4. Drain the pasta and peas once cooked and take off the heat
5. Add the avocado pesto, to the pan and mix well
6. Serve up and scatter over the pine nuts and fresh salad and chickpeas if you like

Nutrition Facts

Avocado Pesto Without A Blender (Vegan + GF)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 191

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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