Description
Pesto is one of my favorite go-to meal starters so I’ve created an adaptable recipe so you can make it to suit your tastes and the season at hand! Nutty, herbaceous, savory, and bright, pesto is the perfect balance of flavors all wrapped up in a pretty verdant-hued package.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups of greens and/or herbs: baby spinach, steamed kale, baby arugula, radish greens, carrot greens, nettles, basil, parsley, sage, etc.
- 1/2 cup toasted nuts or seeds: cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, etc.
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or Parmesan cheese if you aren’t vegan)
- juice and zest of 1 small lemon
- sea salt to taste
- 1–2 minced garlic cloves or 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or, you can use the flesh of 1/2 of an avocado along with 3-4 tbsp of water in its place)
Instructions
Add everything to a blender and blend until relatively smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Store your pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
- The batch photographed is kale and blue spice basil from my garden with cashews and half of an avocado in place of the olive oil. I ended up adding 1/4 cup of water to allow it blend a bit better.
- If you’re using tougher greens like kale, I recommend steaming them lightly beforehand.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: sauce