Vegan Cashew Pesto

Spring. Milwaukee is thawing. The Jeep started on the first try. The farmers market is opening next week. The trees on KK Avenue have tiny green buds. Everything is waking up, including my optimism, which hibernated through the long winter of waiting.

Three months of trying. Nothing yet. Megan says it's normal — it can take six months, a year, sometimes longer. She says this with the calm authority of someone who has googled every fertility statistic available. I say nothing because there is nothing helpful a man can say about fertility timelines except, "Okay." So I say, "Okay." And I cook.

At the brewery, spring production is starting. The hefeweizen is back. The pale ale is back. A new seasonal: a honey lavender blonde that I'm developing for the taproom patio crowd. It's light, floral, slightly sweet. Megan tasted it and said, "This doesn't taste like beer." I said, "That's the point." She said, "I like it." Mission accomplished, again.

Made a spring risotto — asparagus, peas, lemon, parmesan. Risotto is the kind of cooking that teaches patience. You stand at the stove and stir and add broth one ladle at a time and you wait. You can't rush risotto. You can't rush anything good. The rice tells you when it's done. The baby will tell us when it's time. Everything in its own time. I'm learning this. Again. Always again.

The risotto taught me the lesson, but the pesto stuck with me — all that bright green, that lemon-forward punch, the way it comes together slowly in the blender if you let it. After a winter of waiting and a spring that’s finally, tentatively showing up, I wanted something that tasted like the trees on KK Avenue look right now: alive, green, and quietly hopeful. This cashew pesto is that. Toss it with whatever pasta or grain you have on hand, and let it do the rest.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup raw cashews
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2–4 tablespoons water, to thin

Instructions

Soak the cashews. If you have time, soak the raw cashews in cold water for 30 minutes to soften them, then drain. If you’re short on time, cover with boiling water for 10 minutes and drain.
Combine the base. Add the basil, drained cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a food processor or high-speed blender.
Blend and drizzle. Pulse several times to break everything down, then run the processor on low while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Adjust consistency. Add water one tablespoon at a time and blend until the pesto reaches your desired texture — thick and spreadable for crostini, slightly looser for tossing with pasta or grains.
Taste and season. Adjust salt, lemon, or garlic to taste. The flavor should be bright, herby, and just a little rich from the cashews.
Serve. Toss immediately with hot pasta, stir into cooked farro or couscous, spread on toast, or swirl into a bowl of soup. Store leftovers in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, with a thin layer of olive oil on top to preserve color.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegan Cashew Pesto — Patience, Spring, and Something Green Worth Stirring For