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

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.
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.

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
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.






Jennifer says
Just made the fennel walnut pesto