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30 Minutes or Less

The BEST Vegan Pesto

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This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!

overhead image of vegan pesto in a bowl with a spoon.

I don’t mean to brag, but I’m kind of famous for my pesto. Even cheese-lovers rave about my cheese-less pesto! It was just sort of a recipe that evolved over time based on my dietary restrictions. Growing up, my mom would take me to the local farmer’s market on Saturdays and this one bread stand would hand out samples of thick sliced bread with a big ole’ slathering of pesto on it. It was my FAVORITE part of the farmers market and truly where my deep love of pesto began.

When I moved away for college, I had no choice but to start making pesto myself. Also, around this same time is when I started experimenting with a dairy and gluten-free diet. So one day I randomly decided to just leave the parmesan cheese out of my pesto and see how I’d like it. And well, I LOVED it! Then I began playing around with different nuts in my pesto – the traditional recipes call for pine nuts but those can be pretty hard to come by. So I tried literally every nut I could think of and ultimately landed on cashews for creating the best and creamiest vegan pesto EVER. This recipe is perfectly tangy, incredibly fresh, and tastes just as good as (if not better than) the stuff I used to get at the farmer’s market growing up!

vegan pesto pasta in a bowl with a fork and white wine on the side.

What You Need To Make Vegan Pesto

Basil – If you’re growing basil this year, definitely use it in this vegan pesto! I love doubling or tripling this recipe at the end of summer and freezing leftovers to make sure none of that gorgeous, fresh basil goes to waste. And if you don’t have your own basil plant, simply pick up a package of this delicious herb the next time you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market. To prepare the basil for this recipe, start by giving it a quick rinse under cold water. Once clean, remove the leaves from the stems and add them to your blender. When I say “2 heaping cups,” I mean 2 HEAPING cups – pack that basil in there, and throw in a little extra if you’d like!

Cashews – Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but this vegan pesto tastes even better with cashews. Cashews do an incredible job at contributing an almost cheesy flavor to this pesto, in the absence of parmesan cheese! Though feel free to use any nut or seed you’d like to in this recipe. Walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds would all make great substitutions. However, whichever option you choose, please make sure that it is raw and, most importantly, unsalted!

Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds a touch of brightness to this pesto and emphasizes the delicious fresh flavor. Start small on the lemon juice and add more to taste. I loooove a super lemony pesto so I tend to go a bit crazy, but feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

vegan pesto pasta being lifted out of a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Nut-Free: Use raw and unsalted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in place of the cashews to make this a nut-free pesto!
  • Make it Oil-Free: Substitute 2-3 tablespoons of water for the olive oil in this recipe.
  • Add Cheese: Throw 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in with the rest of the ingredients if you’d like.
Vegan Pesto
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Vegan Pesto

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!

Ingredients

  • 2 heaping cups fresh basil

  • 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, see Notes

  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Cashews: You can substitute the cashews in this recipe for pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds if you’d like!

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30 Minutes or Less

Simple Tomato Salad

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overhead image of tomato salad on a serving platter with olive oil and fresh basil on the side.

Fresh, easy, and totally delicious tomato salad! Made with a handful of simple ingredients, this summer salad comes together in just 5 minutes. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and red onion finished off with a sweet balsamic glaze – YUM!

olive oil being poured over tomato salad.

What You’ll Need to Make Tomato Salad

Tomatoes – Use any variety of tomato you’d like in this recipe! I used heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges. However, I’ve also made this salad with cherry tomatoes and it was just as incredible.

Fresh Basil – Tomatoes and fresh basil are the perfect pair! Grab a small handful of fresh basil leaves, and stack them on top of each other. Then, gently roll the leaves (like you would a cigar), and run a knife through the basil creating thin basil “ribbons.” Or, if that’s too much work for you, simply grab a handful of basil and gently tear it, then toss into your salad!

Red Onion – Or really any kind of onion! A sweet yellow onion would also taste delicious, it’s totally up to you.

Balsamic – A touch of acidity brings out the fresh flavors in this easy plant-based salad recipe. I LOVE a sweet, yet savory balsamic glaze, but a drizzle of regular balsamic vinegar will also do the trick!

super close-up image of tomato salad with fresh basil on top.

Tips and Tricks

  • Toss your tomato salad together, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. This rest time will allow the tomatoes to marinate in all of their delicious flavor. And remember, the longer your salad sits, the more flavorful it’ll be!
  • Have fun with this recipe, and don’t be afraid to make it your own! Add or remove anything you’d like. This salad is super simple, and should remain uncomplicated.
close-up image of tomato salad on a serving platter.

Delicious Additions

Any or all of the following would make delicious additions to your tomato salad!

  • Fresh Cucumber
  • Chickpeas
  • Grilled Chicken
  • Mozzarella Cheese

This side dish is vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free!

Simple Tomato Salad
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Simple Tomato Salad

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

Fresh, easy, and totally delicious tomato salad! Made with a handful of simple ingredients, this summer salad comes together in just 5 minutes. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and red onion finished off with a sweet balsamic glaze – YUM!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound tomatoes (I recommend cherry, grape, and/or heirloom tomatoes), sliced

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Arrange the sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and red onion on a large platter or in a large bowl.
  • Top with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper then cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

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30 Minutes or Less

Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

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close up image of stuffed zucchini boats in a baking dish with fresh basil on top.

Easy, healthy, and extra delicious Italian stuffed zucchini boats! This low-carb meal comes together in under 30 minutes, with only 5 (!!!) ingredients. The ultimate lazy, yet super healthy dinner recipe.

overhead image of zucchini boats on a plate with white wine on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Zucchini – This summer vegetable is super cheap and easy to find! Start by slicing a zucchini in half, then removing the seeds and some of the flesh from inside. You’ll be left with two zucchini “boats,” ready to be filled with our delicious Italian sausage in sauce.

Italian Sausage – Feel free to use whatever kind of Italian sausage you’d like! Though make sure it’s uncooked and removed from its casings before cooking. As it cooks, break the sausage up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Italian sausage is packed with herbs and spices, adding even more flavor to this already super flavorful dish.

Marinara Sauce – I use and love Rao’s marinara sauce for when I don’t feel like making it myself. Rao’s is perfectly tangy, has tons of flavor, with just a hint of sweetness. However, you can totally use your favorite jarred marinara sauce for this recipe. Or, if you have some time to spare, go ahead and throw together a homemade sauce to use instead.

Dried Italian Seasoning – The final step before cooking these zucchini boats is sprinkling them with a little bit of dried Italian seasoning. I love the flavor this packs, but it’s totally optional if you’re not feeling up to it or don’t have any on-hand.

overhead image of zucchini boats in a baking dish.

Tips and Tricks

  • Finish off these Italian stuffed zucchini boats with fresh-grated parmesan cheese! It rounds out the Italian flavors in this dish, and make it that much more delicious. Also, who doesn’t love a little bit of cheese?!
  • You can easily prep-then-freeze this dish ahead of time! To do this, follow each step of the recipe, up to cooking it. Then, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, before freezing for up to three months. When ready to eat, simply defrost, then bake as instructed.
  • This is a great, healthy meal to prep for a crowd! Simply double or triple the amounts listed in the recipe below, and you can feed a whole army (ok …maybe not an entire army, but you get the point). I love throwing this quick and easy zucchini recipe together for friends and family, it’s a total crowd-favorite!
close-up image of zucchini boat being cut into with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: These zucchini boats are already gluten-free! However, to be absolutely certain they don’t contain any traces of gluten, check your sausage and marinara sauce packaging to make sure those ingredient are entirely gluten-free.

Make it Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version of this recipe, replace the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast!

Make it Vegan: Replace the sausage with your favorite vegan meat substitute, and cook it with an additional teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning. Then, similar to the dairy-free version, top with nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese.

Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
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Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Easy, healthy, and extra delicious Italian stuffed zucchini boats! This low-carb meal comes together in under 30 minutes, with only 5 (!!!) ingredients. The ultimate lazy, yet super healthy dinner recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

  • 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)

  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, optional

  • grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Using a spoon, scoop out and remove the seeds and a little bit of the flesh from each zucchini half.
  • Sprinkle zucchini with salt and black pepper, then place inside a large baking dish and set aside.
  • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add in the Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink. Break up the meat as it cooks, should take about 5 minutes.
  • Add marinara sauce to the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer sausage in sauce for 2-3 minutes.
  • Spoon the sauce mixture into the cavity of each zucchini half, then evenly sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and zucchini is tender. Serve warm with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

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overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!

super close-up image of avocado salad

What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Salad

Avocados – Duh! The main ingredient, the stars of this show, are two perfectly ripe large avocados. How can you tell when an avocado is ripe? Give it a gentle squeeze, and if the skin feels firm but gives a little, then your avocado’s ripe and ready to use in this salad! However, if your avocado feels especially hard and doesn’t give at all when squeezed, then it’s not ripe and should be left at room temperature overnight to ripen.

Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice gives this salad a nice touch of acidity and brightness! The lemon juice also helps to preserve the freshness of the vegetables in this dish. Though if you don’t have any lemon juice, a touch of apple cider vinegar will work too.

Fresh Herbs – Use any kind of fresh herb you’d like! I used fresh basil and OMG it was delicious. But I’ve also made this plant-based meal with fresh cilantro and fresh parsley, both of which were just as tasty.

Salt – I swear by lightly salting avocado, no matter what dish it’s in. A tiny pinch of salt brings out the rich, creamy, almost buttery taste in avocado. And if you don’t already have some, I highly recommend investing in some flaky sea salt. For this salad recipe, wait until the very end to add the salt. Salt, while enhancing flavor, will also turn the avocado brown. Therefore, to keep your avocado salad looking as bright and fresh as possible, salt the salad right before serving!

avocado salad in a bowl with serving utensils.

Tips and Tricks

  • If you’d like to prep this recipe ahead of time, then prep all ingredients except the avocado. Once avocado is removed from its skin and exposed to air, it’ll brown pretty quickly. This browning doesn’t mean the avocado’s gone bad, and won’t at all affect the taste, though it simply won’t look as pretty. Therefore, chop and prep all other herbs and veggies, then toss in the avocado and salt right before serving to keep it looking vibrant and fresh!
  • Enjoy this avocado salad as-is, or add in your favorite plant-based protein for a heartier meal. A can of drained beans, a cup of lentils, or some crispy cubed tofu would all go perfectly in this salad! Though if not vegan, feel free to serve this salad as a side dish to roast chicken, pan-seared salmon, or really any main course.
  • Store leftover avocado salad in an airtight container. Though before securing the lid, press a piece of plastic wrap over the veggies so that it comes into contact with the top of the salad. This’ll help prevent the avocado from turning brown, and lock in freshness for up to three days!
overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

This Avocado Salad Is…

Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SaladsDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados, diced

  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 English cucumber, sliced

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and/or basil

  • big pinch of salt

  • fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

  • Add all ingredients except salt and black pepper to a large bowl and toss to combine.
  • Just before serving, sprinkle in salt and black pepper, then eat immediately.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

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avocado pasta on a plate with a fork

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

close-up image of avocado pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes on a plate

What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Pasta

Avocado – LOL, duh! Pick up two perfectly ripe avocados for this plant-based recipe. To know whether your avocados are ripe or not, give them a gentle squeeze. If the skin gives a tiny bit then they’re ready to eat! Though if your avocados feel hard as rocks, leave them out at room temperature for another day or two until ripe. I almost always buy a big bag of avocados while at the store, and use leftovers to make avocado toast in the morning – yum!

Fresh Herbs – Feel free to use any fresh herbs you’d like, or have on-hand! I used a combo of fresh basil and fresh parsley, which made for a perfectly fresh-tasting sauce. However, a bunch of fresh cilantro would taste equally as delicious.

Garlic – Plenty of garlic is necessary for this avocado pasta recipe! We pretty much use an entire garlic bulb between the roasted garlic and tomatoes, and the avocado sauce. When roasted, garlic releases intense flavor which is straight up heavenly. I could eat roasted garlic all by itself, it’s that good! Together with the tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper – the roasted garlic in this recipe is to-die-for.

overhead image of avocado pasta on two plate

Tips and Tricks

  • Use any pasta shape you’d like! I used bow-ties since they’re what I had, but shape truly makes no difference here. I can imagine this avocado pasta tastes just as delicious with spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, etc.
  • Remember to reserve half a cup of pasta water! This pasta water will be added back into the pasta, after you’ve strained it, and added the avocado sauce in. The starches from the reserved water help your sauce latch onto the pasta.
  • Typically served hot, this pasta can also be served cold as an avocado pasta salad. For a cold pasta dish, cook up everything the same. Then, cover and leave to chill for about an hour before serving.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: This pasta is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free pasta. Now my personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Jovial’s Brown Rice pasta, and is actually exactly what I used in the photos here!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo pasta, simply use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash in place of the pasta in this dinner recipe.

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

  • For the roasted garlic and tomatoes:

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes

  • 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • For the avocado sauce:

  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, parsley, and/or cilantro

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Make the roasted garlic and tomatoes by placing tomatoes and sliced garlic on a baking sheet, then drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and very fragrant.
  • While garlic and tomatoes roast, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
  • While pasta cooks, add all avocado sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Once pasta is cooked, strain then add back into pot along with avocado sauce and reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce before adding in roasted garlic and tomatoes, serve immediately.

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