Thoroughly rinse and dry a big bunch of cilantro. Remove any tough stems, but don't stress too much about getting every single one. The stems add lots of flavor too.

Place the whole almonds in the food processor and process just until they have broken down to a coarse grain -- do not over process and turn into almond butter.

Next break the cheese up into several pieces and add it to the food processor, pulse until it breaks down -- about three pulses. Now add the garlic and chile pepper and pulse a couple of times so it blends into the cheese and almonds. If you're making the vegan cilantro pesto then add your vegan cheese, and nutritional yeast now. If you want to use the lime or lemon juice then add it to the food processer now too.

Now turn the processor to the lowest setting and pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Slowly add more oil until you achieve the texture you would like for your pesto sauce. (I ended up adding just a bit over one third cup of olive oil.)

Using the rubber spatula scrap out the finished pesto into a large bowl. Taste and if needed sprinkle in a little bit of salt and thoroughly mix until well combined. (The Cotija can be a tad salty for some, so you may not need to add the salt.)

Pour the delicious pesto into an airtight container or divide into small mason jars. If storing for later use you can drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on the surface of the pesto, then secure the lid on and refrigerate.