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    Home / Recipes / Main Dishes

    Dairy-Free Creamy Basil Sauce and Zoodles

    Posted On May 20, 2018 · Updated On Sep 24, 2021

    Dairy-Free Creamy Basil Sauce and Zoodles

    A fresh and creamy zoodles (zucchini noodles) recipe from Chef Hillori Hansen, with a deliciously easy Creamy Vegan Pesto.

    Dairy FreeMain DishesPaleo FriendlyVegan

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    This Dairy-Free Creamy Basil Sauce recipe is packed with fresh basil flavor and a touch of garlic. It’s so delicious, you’ll never miss the dairy.

    how to make creamy vegan pesto

    This creamy basil goodness works on almost anything.

    My beautiful friend Chef Hillori Hansen perfected this recipe. (You may remember her from our video about Spatchcocking.)

    We’ve served this sauce on fresh gluten-free pasta, over grilled fish, and we both love it with zoodles. This sauce is truly stand-alone delicious, and could easily be called "Creamy Vegan Pesto" or something similar.

    It's also great on salads! If I'm planning to use the whole batch as salad dressing, I usually add a little more lemon. Since it's dairy-free, I don't have to worry about the sauce getting warm at picnics or BBQs. Score!

    how to make zoodles - zucchini noodle

    Making Recipe Swaps:

    I often make this basil sauce without the miso because the stores in my town don't carry it.  If you omit the miso, you'll probably need to add a pinch or two of salt.

    I've made it without the nutritional yeast too. I like the funky faux-Parmesan flavor the yeast adds when I'm serving the sauce on pasta or warm quinoa salad, but I prefer it without when I'm using the sauce for a salad dressing or with fish.

    I suggest you try this recipe Hillori's way first (as written) and then make your own customizations.

    We’ve shared the super-easy recipe for Dairy-Free Creamy Basil Sauce below, and showed you how-to with a video. The biggest part is soaking the cashews - once you do that, you're off to the races. I usually make a double batch of the sauce and stow some in the fridge - it's easy if you have a big blender.

    Along with the sauce recipe, we're sharing directions for making the zoodles (zucchini noodles) and assembling a colorful, flavorful meal. The recipe serves three as a main course or four as a side. Just make a few more zoodles if you've got a bigger crowd.

    Pro tip: soaking is key.

    Seriously – don’t skip soaking the cashews, that’s an important step! You can soak the cashews for 3-6 hours in filtered water and then drain them. If you're short on time, soak the nuts in really warm (like almost boiling) water for 45 minutes - 1.5 hours.

    If you'd like to add a little more protein to this dish, these Roasted Shrimp with Sweet Peppers are fabulous on top. For a meat-free meal, serve alongside Warming Root Vegetable + Turmeric Soup in the winter or Traditional Gazpacho when it's sunny out. They're all plenty fabulous for a party and simple enough for a weeknight meal.

    how to make vegan basil cream sauce

    Dairy-Free Creamy Basil Sauce And Zoodles Recipe

    Hillori Hansen
    A fresh and creamy zoodles (zucchini noodles) recipe from Chef Hillori Hansen, with Dairy-Free Basil Sauce that's deliciously garlicky and super easy.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Soaking 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3 people
    Calories 466 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the Basil Sauce:

    • 1 cup cashews soaked until soft*
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
    • 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
    • 2 teaspoons miso
    • 2 cloves chopped fresh garlic
    • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
    • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

    For the zucchini noodles and assembly

    • 4 medium zucchini
    • Salt for sprinkling noodles
    • 1 cup cherry or pear tomatoes, sliced in half
    • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
    • 1 cup basil cream sauce
    • 3 large basil leaves, chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Blend cashews, water, lemon juice and zest, nutritional yeast, miso & garlic until smooth.
    • Add chopped garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Blend on lowest speed to incorporate.
    • Spiralize the noodles or use a peeler to shave around the zucchini into thin strip pieces (roughly 4 cups).
    • Sprinkle salt over noodles and let rest for about 15 minutes (this should pull out water from the noodles).
    • Rinse and pat the noodles dry with paper towels.
    • Stir in the sauce, tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.
    • Garnish with chopped basil.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    *Typically you need to soak nuts a minimum of 3-6 hours to get them soft. Soak in filtered water, then rinse and drain.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 16gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 185mgPotassium: 1282mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1188IUVitamin C: 79mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword cream sauce recipe, dairy free sauce recipe, gluten-free pasta, zoodles recipe

    Photos: Meg van der Kruik - she had to make more sauce because her family couldn't stop eating it!

    Dairy-Free Basil Cream Sauce recipe

    Eat your colors, friends. But do it deliciously.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Creamy Basil Sauce:

    Can I use other nuts in this recipe or omit them?

    You need the cashews to achieve the creaminess in this recipe. You could substitute macadamia nuts, but you'll need to soak them a but longer and the texture of the sauce won't be quite as smooth.

    Can I skip the miso or nutritional yeast?

    Yes, you can skip both of these ingredients. They both add depth of flavor, so I would add more lemon and possibly one more cloves of garlic. You'll also likely need to add a pinch or two more salt.

    Do I have to serve this basil sauce on zoodles?

    Nope! You can serve this sauce on pasta, quinoa, grilled vegetables or fish. You can also use it as a salad dressing.

    What sauce is made from basil?

    You can make both pesto and a creamy basil sauce with fresh basil.

    What can I use basil sauce on?

    You can serve basil sauce over pasta or zoodles, on grilled meats or fish, use it as a topping for pizza or focaccia, or as a salad dressing.

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    Comments

    1. Mangos are the boss of me says

      July 18, 2021 at 8:15 pm

      How well does the sauce do when frozen? Is it worth making more & freezing it or is it funky when thawed?

      Reply
      • K.C. Cornwell says

        August 12, 2021 at 3:02 pm

        We haven't frozen it, but think it will do fine.

        Reply

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    K.C. is a farm-grown foodie, born and raised in the fertile fields of California’s San Joaquin Valley. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease following years of unexplained illness, she has infused her gluten-free life with flavor, fork in hand. Learn more about K.C.

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