Racy Oil-Free Red Pepper Pesto

As a traditional pesto lover, this Red Pepper Pesto has been a game changer for me! That's because traditional pesto, and even it's vegan counterpart, is an oil-based dish but this red pepper pesto is oil-free. It gets its rich taste from sunflower seeds and its zing from the 6 cloves of garlic and the hot sauce!

Now, this is not my original recipe so let me tell you about its creator, Sara Oakley, who runs Soul in Wonder with her husband Christopher August. They fuse integrative healing practices with self-empowerment coaching to elevate mind, body, and soul just for vegans to take their life to the next level in pursuit of creating a more compassionate vegan world for everyone.

I met these two at a Sarasota, FL VegFest where we were both scheduled speakers. I was telling my breast cancer story and rolling vegan sushi and they were on next with their 9-step approach to creating a more fulfilling vegan life. But it's the harrowing story behind the face and the history behind the revelations that stirred me and an instant bond was formed.

Now, they have lovingly allowed me to share this recipe from their online cookbook, the Soul in Wonder Plant Powered Cookbook, which I am devouring because all of the whole food plant-based recipes are oil free. That's exactly what I need for maintaining my weight perfectly and reducing my risk for breast cancer recurrence. That's what you need, too, if you are trying to lose weight or you are trying to reverse high cholesterol, high blood pressure or high blood glucose.

Making Racy Oil-free Red Pepper Pesto LIVE!

Here we are all together on a recent Facebook LIVE video session where I showed my Going Vegan For Health Group how to make this amazing Oil-Free Red Pepper Pesto. If you want to participate with more guests, more talks and more cooking LIVE like this, request to join the facebook group!

Vegan Cooking Level: Beginner

Ingredients

Two 12 oz. jars Roasted Red Peppers (in water or brine, not oil), drained

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, raw and unsalted

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup packed fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup packed fresh basil

Splash of your favorite hot sauce, to your taste (if you like it HOT)

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Whip it up!

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides as necessary. Add more nutritional yeast if you like.

BOOM- DONE!

Add to brown rice noodles, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, roasted vegetables, whole grain toast, whole grain pizza crust, or dip with whole grain, oil-free crackers or toasted fresh pita chips, and of course fresh veggies!

Try adding it a long-side hummus for dipping, like so: