There's something about wild garlic pesto – a.k.a. ramson pesto – that I reckon makes it even better than its traditional basil and garlic counterpart. This vegan recipe uses walnuts and nutritional yeast for a dairy-free twist that delivers a nice cheesy flavour while putting your foraged finds front and centre.
If you can pick leaves that are fresh and at their peak around early spring in the UK, you'll be onto a winner. Use this stuff with pasta, in soup, on pizza, or to add an extra depth to hummus or butter bean dip.
Reading this when wild garlic isn't in season? Worry not – I also have a recipe for vegan pesto with basil and garlic.
Jump to:
- What is it? 🌿
- Why I love it 💚
- Taste 🧄
- Nutrition 🌱
- Ingredients 📋
- Step by step 📷
- Where to use 🍽️
- FAQ ❓
- Variations 🔀
- Recipe 👨🍳
What is wild garlic pesto?
Wild garlic pesto is a twist on the traditional Italian sauce that uses wild garlic leaves (also known as ramsons) in place of basil and garlic. It's a great way to make the most of a seasonal wild food found in the UK and other parts of Europe.
Why I love it
When my partner and I got into foraging a few years ago, we quickly realised how easy it was to find wild garlic in the woodlands near our home in Sheffield. I just love the idea of heading out on a walk and coming back with wild food that could be put to use in various recipes.
There are lots of things you can do with wild garlic, but it's the speed and simplicity of pesto sauce that makes it a perennial favourite among foragers.
What does it taste like?
This pesto has all the garlicky flavour you'd expect, albeit slightly milder and with a subtle earthiness and sweetness. As a dairy-free recipe, this version uses nutritional yeast to add a cheesy umami flavour you'd usually get from Parmesan.
Is wild garlic pesto healthy?
With just a few tablespoons of oil, this pesto is a relatively low-fat way of adding loads of flavour to a dish. The walnuts are also a great source of nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, iron, and calcium (learn more about the health benefits of walnuts).
What you'll need
To make this delicious pesto sauce, you'll need:
- Wild garlic leaves (I also include some of the stems)
- Walnuts or pine nuts (or a mix of both)
- Nutritional yeast to replace the cheesiness of Parmesan
- Lemon juice for a little zing
- Olive oil to add a silky texture
How to make wild garlic pesto
See recipe notes for tips on responsible foraging and how to prepare wild garlic.
To a food processor, add the wild garlic leaves, walnuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Blend into a paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides with a spatula or spoon.
Season with salt and pepper, add a few tablespoons of water, and blend to loosen up the paste. Continue adding small amounts of water and blending until you have the desired consistency.
Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Transfer to a clean jar and top with a thin layer of oil.
The pesto should keep well in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Ways to use wild garlic pesto
- Pasta: The pesto is perfect mixed through freshly cooked pasta. I like it with pan-fried tofu (or tofu pancetta), mushrooms, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes. It would also be nice when combined with vegan cashew alfredo.
- Soup: Add a few teaspoons to soup when serving. It would be good with mushroom and tarragon soup or tomato and basil soup, but you'll find plenty of other ideas in my library of vegan soup recipes.
- Pizza: Add a few small dollops to pizza for an extra garlicky flavour.
- Dips: Try stirring it through hummus or lemony butter bean dip.
- Risotto: Add extra flavour to risotto when serving (see this smoked tofu risotto).
- Sandwiches, salads, dressings – the list goes on...
Recipe FAQ
You certainly can! I tend to include some stems in the pesto, then save flowers for salads or as a garnish.
This should keep well in the fridge for up to two weeks. It helps to add a thin layer of oil on top of the pesto inside the jar.
You can store wild garlic pesto in the freezer for up to six months. Divide into the portion sizes you'll want, or freeze in ice cube trays before transferring to a resealable bag or container. Defrost thoroughly before using.
Variations and tips for wild garlic pesto
- Other nuts or seeds: You could replace the walnuts with anything like pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. The texture and taste will vary slightly depending on what you use.
- Chilli: For a touch of heat, try adding chilli along with the other ingredients.
- Oil-free: This recipe uses a few tablespoons of oil to keep that classic pesto texture, but you could replace all of this with water if you like.
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Full recipe
Vegan Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients
- 3½ oz (100 g) wild garlic leaves, washed (see notes on safe foraging and preparation)
- 2 oz (60 g) walnuts (or pine nuts, or a mix)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4-6 tablespoons water (plus more if needed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the wild garlic leaves, walnuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil. Blend into a paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides with a spatula or spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper, add a few tablespoons of water, and blend to loosen up the paste. Continue adding small amounts of water and blending until you have the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Transfer to a clean jar and top with a thin layer of oil. The pesto should keep well in the fridge for up to two weeks.🌱 Ways to use it >📸 See recipe steps >📖 Table of contents >
Notes
Nutrition
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Lynn
Hello Alistar!
Wow! I just made the wild garlic pesto, using wild leeks instead. I pasted, at the end of this note, PDF file photos of the leeks growing in our 12 acre mixed hardwoods in Western New York, USA. I hope the pics can be opened.
I have used the bulbs of our wild leeks, but never thought of using the leaves. Since Europe's wild garlic is a close cousin to our wild leeks, I decided to harvest the leaves and make the pesto.
I must say, the pesto packs a punch, with quite the garlicky taste. I small amount will do on toast or mixed in with pasta. Still, quite delicious and it sure must be healthy!
Thanks again for this recipe, I'll prepare it again for as long as our wild leeks are in season.
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, glad you enjoyed this one! I'm afraid it's not possible to share photos in these comments. I hope you don't mind that I also edited your comment to remove the note about a potential reaction to the plants you substituted - I just don't want readers to be confused and it's very important to encourage safe foraging. Thanks!
Lynn
No problem…photos and edit. I was wondering about both submissions. I, at least wanted you to know about my initial taste experience, which was brief and did not occur again. Weird. I am a naturalist and know my wild plants well, so I know I did not mix the leeks with any other greens. (And I checked the leaves as I prepared them.) Pretty hard to do in our woods right now. Sorry the photos could not be shared, again, hope you could see them.
Also, thanks again for the recipe! And thanks for all you do to keep folks healthy and happy + educated!
The Pesky Vegan
No problem, thanks!
Jacky
Using Riverford wild garlic - not sure why as my mum in laws garden is full of it. Didn't add all the liquid but a bit runnier than I expected. One tub in the fridge another in the freezer for a quick pasta supper. Great recipe thanks
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the review!
Diane Lloyd-Jones
Wow! This is so delicious. And easy (especially when you buy the wild garlic and not collect it yourself!). Highly recommended.
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!
Lucy
Oh I love this time of year! It didn't grow anywhere near where we used to live, but now I can get on my bike, pedal for a few miles down the tow path, park and scramble up a steep woody bit that not many people know about, and gather a whole bagful! Mostly it goes into pesto, I've not tried this particular walnut/wild garlic combo but it looks good, unfortunately I've used up last year's supply of foraged walnuts.
I think it's generally OK and easy to identify as long as you pick and go over it carefully. My niece got ill after eating it because she was so excited to find a patch of it that she scooped it up greedily in big handfuls, and must have taken in something else, maybe wild arum or perhaps lily of the valley, without noticing, so there's a moral there, forage responsibly!
The Pesky Vegan
Absolutely need to be careful with foraging, I've made several disclaimers about it in the post. Hopefully plenty more foraging-related recipes to come in future!