• Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About

Wee Little Vegans

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
×
Home » Recipes » Appetizer

Fennel Walnut Pesto

Author Bio Picture
Modified: Dec 26, 2025 · Published: Jun 1, 2017 by Melissa · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment
↓ Jump to Recipe

Not your usual pesto, this Fennel Walnut Pesto is a delicious spin on the traditional dish. Made with 7 ingredients in just 20 minutes.

Overhead view of Fennel Walnut Pesto in a small bowl. The bowl is sitting on a wooden board and there walnuts and fennel fronds partially visible in the frame.

We recently received fresh fennel in our weekly produce box. Thinking of ways to cook the white bulb was easy, but I wanted to make use of the fronds as well. This Fennel Walnut Vegan Pesto turned out to be a great way to use up those fronds. This pesto has a wonderfully refreshing flavor that really stands out from other pestos.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Recipe

Ingredients

Pesto is usually made with pine nuts, but since I didn't have any and there were plenty of walnuts I decided to use what I had. Nutritional yeast takes the place of cheese with a bit of garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to really make it pop. Combine a couple of spoons of pesto with pasta for a delicious quick meal. I also enjoyed it spread on some homemade bread.

  • fennel fronds
  • walnuts
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • nutritional yeast
  • salt & pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Close up of Fennel Walnut Pesto in a small glass bowl.

Instructions

Making this pesto is super easy. Toast the walnuts to bring out the flavor before blending with the other ingredients. Simple and quick!

Equipment

You will need a food processor to make this pesto.

Storage

Store pesto in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for up to 3 days.

Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a review and rating in the comments below. This helps me continue to provide great recipes for you.

Recipe

Fennel Walnut Vegan Pesto

Melissa
Not your usual pesto, this Fennel Walnut Pesto is a delicious spin on the traditional dish. Made with 7 ingredients in just 20 minutes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fennel fronds
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ¼ cup + 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spread walnuts out on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes. Allow walnuts to cool.
    ¼ cup walnuts
  • In the bowl of food processor add walnuts, fennel fronds, garlic, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
    2 cups fennel fronds, 2-3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste, ¼ cup walnuts
  • Combine for 3-4 minutes drizzling olive oil in a little at a time until broken down into a paste.
    ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Serve with pasta, crusty bread, etc.

More Appetizer

  • Wonton Ravioli Feature Image
    Wonton Raviolis with Pumpkin Cheese
  • Top view of Buffalo Potato Wedges on a white platter with a hand taking one. A child's hand is dipping another wedge in Vegan Blue Cheese Dip.
    Buffalo Potato Wedges with Vegan Blue Cheese Dip
  • Top View of Vegan Edamame Hummus in a bowl with whole edamame scattered on top and pita wedges on the side.
    Easy Vegan Edamame Hummus
  • Broccoli Quinoa Sticks Feature Image
    Broccoli Quinoa Sticks with Cashew Cheese Sauce

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    August 23, 2021 at 2:14 am

    Just made the fennel walnut pesto

    Reply

Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi, I'm Melissa!

Longtime vegan and mom of four little vegans. I share simple recipes our family loves and my tips for raising healthy, happy vegan kids.

About me

Holiday Recipes

  • Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole Feature Image
    Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole
  • TVP Breakfast Sausage Feature Image
    TVP Breakfast Sausages
  • Dark Chocolate Salted Walnuts Feature Image
    Dark Chocolate Salted Walnuts
  • Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Spaghetti Feature Image
    Sun-dried Tomato Spinach Spaghetti

Popular

  • Vegan Hawaiian Rolls Feature Image
    Vegan Hawaiian Rolls
  • Vegan Navy Bean Soup Feature Image
    Vegan Navy Bean Soup - Instant Pot or Stove Top
  • Vegan Cornbread Waffles Feature Image
    Vegan Cornbread Waffles
  • Barbecue Lentils Feature Image
    Barbecue Lentils

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

Sign Up! for emails and updates + receive a 7 day weekly meal plan with complete shopping list.

Contact

  • Contact
  • About

Copyright © 2026 Wee Little Vegans

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT