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Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles

4.7 stars, average of 142 ratings
By Martina Slajerova, updated February 25 202122
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This recipe is definitely quite unusual for most keto-dieters. As you may know, I'm not a big fan of vegan diets, mainly because of the rise in vegan fake food industry (that's where the real money is to be made) but also due to the inherent problem of the vegan approach — nutrient deficiencies, especially if you follow a keto-friendly vegan diet that is far more restricted.

I received a few requests for a keto-friendly vegan recipe because there are very few available. Although most vegans follow the diet by choice, there are some that have to avoid animal products due to allergies. Please note that this is not a zero-carb recipe but that generally applies to most vegan foods.

If you decide to follow vegan keto or vegetarian keto diet for ethical reasons, make sure to minimise the risk of nutritional deficiencies and use supplements if needed. If you do follow a plant-based approach, have a look at this post that answers some of the most common questions.

If you eat animal products, feel free to add some cooked chicken or salmon!

Note: If your zoodles tend to get mushy, try this technique from Mellissa at The Clothes Make The Girl.

Hands-on Overall

Serving size about 2 cups

Allergy information for Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Egg free
✔  Pork free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Nutritional values (per serving, about 2 cups)

Net carbs8.4 grams
Protein6.3 grams
Fat41.6 grams
Calories452 kcal
Calories from carbs 8%, protein 6%, fat 86%
Total carbs19.8 gramsFiber11.4 gramsSugars6.1 gramsSaturated fat10.9 gramsSodium689 mg(30% RDA)Magnesium83 mg(21% RDA)Potassium1,278 mg(64% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

  • 4 medium zucchini, spiralized (800 g/ 1.8 lb)
  • 1/2 cup pesto sauce such as Paleo Avocado Pesto or Cheesy Vegan Pesto (125 g/ 4.4 oz)
  • 2 average avocados (400 g/ 14.2 oz)
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives or other olives (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced (28 g/ 1 oz)
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil or olive oil (28 g/ 1 oz)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Using a spiralizer, create zucchini "noodles". Chop the soft core of the zucchini and add it to the zoodles. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can use a julienne peeler and peel the zucchini all around until you get to the soft centre. Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles
  2. Place the zoodles (in batches if needed) on a pan greased with coconut oil and cook briefly for 2-5 minutes. The exact time depends on how tender you prefer the zoodles to be. Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles
  3. Peel and halve the avocado. Remove the seed and slice it into stripes. Drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes and drain the olives. Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles
  4. Take the zoodles off heat and spoon in the pesto. Mix until well combined and season with salt. Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles
  5. Place on a serving plate and top with tomatoes, olives, avocado and fresh basil. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a day. Reheat before serving. Keto Vegan Pesto Zoodles

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, about 2 cups)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Zucchini (summer squash, courgette)
4.2 g2.4 g0.6 g34 kcal
Avocado, fresh
1.8 g2 g14.7 g161 kcal
Kalamata olives
0 g0.5 g6.5 g64 kcal
Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained)
1.2 g0.3 g1 g15 kcal
Basil, fresh
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Coconut oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g6.7 g61 kcal
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Avocado Pistachio Pesto, homemade (KetoDiet blog)
1.2 g1 g12 g118 kcal
Total per serving, about 2 cups
8.4 g6.3 g41.6 g452 kcal

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Martina Slajerova
Creator of KetoDietApp.com

Martina Slajerova

I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food.

More posts by Martina Slajerova
Martina Slajerova

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Comments (22)

In the written info with the pictures, there are NO INSTRUCTIONS on how to make the pesto sauce.

Dear Paula, if you click on the link for the pesto sauce, you will find recipes you can use. You can also use your own pesto sauce. I don't see any reason to fully include the pesto recipe as part if this recipe.

thanks for all this information. I love this recipe I and the others in the KetoDiet cookbook! It has made staying on this diet/way of life much easier.
---a former sugar addict.

Thank you for your kind words, Alison!

Hi there. I am doing a project and I don't see the calories for this recipe. Would you happen to know how many calories there are?

It is listed as "kcal" or energy. I hope this helps!

Zoodles are the best.  So quick and easy to make!

Hello Martina!
   I LUV your app & newsletters. I appreciate all their & effort you put into helping us be successful. 😘
   I am about 10 days into a Pescetarian Keto lifestyle which I researched & adopted purely for health reasons. I live in Hawai'i & properly sourced meat from land animals is non-existent, save grass-fed beef from Big Island & reputable internet distributors don't ship here, but fresh wild-caught seafood is plentiful. ☺
   I've chosen a GMO, gluten, dairy, & soy free diet with eggs only when I can get them from the farmers market. As you can imagine, this isn't an easy path, esp when eating away from home, but I've seen wonderful improvements already! 😀
   This recipe is amazing! I prepared Mine with wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon... grilled with a local, organic seasoning & a squeeze of lime... VERY TASTY! You have an excellent selection of Keto veggies for Me to try & I'm hungry for more! TYVM!

Thank you for your kind words, Ursula, that sounds wonderful! 😊

Low-carb vegan recipes are not easy to find! I made this tonight and it's delicious. I made the avocado pesto first and I swear I could eat just that with a spoon. I'm glad I didn't though because this zoodle recipe is amazing. My boyfriend didn't stop until it was gone and he requested I at least double the recipe next time so there is a chance at leftovers. I sprinkled hemp/flax on top, it was really good. Thank you for this recipe, I will be making this regularly.

Thank you Bella! 😊

Thanks for sharing! Looks amazing & i can't wait to try this out

Actually, I am a great fan of vegan, but still 'just' vegetarian (and keto since three weeks). We made this recipe yesterday. It is delicious! Thank you. I made the zoodles by slicing the zuchini with a 'cheese-scraper' into thin slices. Then make a pile of these slices and cut thin zoodles of the side. Works like a charm.

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! 😊

HI this looks lovely but when i add it to my fitpal app the carbs are a lot higher. I find this happens with a lot of foods. Even if i counted total not net carbs it still says there a lot more carbs. Which should i go with??

Thank you Suzanna! I think that it is likely caused by inaccuracies in their database, especially when it happens with several other recipes. I suggest you create your own food entries if you use MFP. Their database is "shared" and so everyone can add a new entry that may not be accurate or is missing macronutrients (often no fibre, thus no way to count "net carbs"). The best way to verify the nutrition facts is to use the USDA food database which is also what we use in our app.

The TED talk doesn't discourage or put any negative view on being vegan What it does is support why most vegans are against the factory farming cattle. Free range cattle is what he studied and promotes. I'm don't eat meat because I respect animals lives and feelings. I support free range and letting animals live and die as they have for thousands of years. You can never own another's life.

It really depends how you look at this. You may be one of those who see it that way but most vegans (not vegetarians) are against any farming no matter what the source is, not just conventional factory farming.  What this TED talk is trying to show is that sources matter and using the land only for crops is not sustainable.

I just discovered another "vegan" raw noodle: King oyster mushroom stems (http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3057/2826991621_16b299cfbe_z.jpg?zz=1).  Just run them through the grater blade on a food processor--no special gadgets needed, and no disappointing "cones" or cores left over  when done.  These are found in Asian grocery stores.
I know, I know--you're thinking MUSHROOMS?  I CAN FRY THOSE BABIES WITH PEPPER AND GARLIC!  It turns out these may be best served raw, because heat makes them shrink to near-nothingness.  I haven't tried boiling them yet, but stir-fry doesn't seem to work well.

Thank you, I have never thought of that! I can't find these mushrooms here in the UK though. Last time I checked, they only had the small types of oyster mushrooms and the stem is just too small. I know what you mean, when you cook mushrooms, they just shrink too much but I know you can et them raw, my father does 😊 If I ever find them, I will give it a try!

Thanks, I am not vegan but I appreciate recipes that don't contain meat, eggs or cheese. I eat loads of these and sometimes don't get enough veggies. This looks like a great light dinner option! 😊

Thank you Renee! It is and I love using all sorts of home-made pesto sauces with zoodles 😊