This pesto is a staple in our fridge – and can be made with any combination of nuts, leafy greens and herbs. Often I can’t find any English spinach, so I’ll use rocket or baby spinach instead. And if there’s no basil in season? Swap in some coriander.
With 5 cloves of garlic, plenty of nutrient dense greens, AND being made on extra virgin olive oil, the health properties of this simple mix far exceeds that which you’ll get in the tiny tubs from the shops. And the taste (and colour!!) – you won’t go back to store-bought!
INGREDIENTS
5 cloves garlic- 160g nuts (any single or combination of macadamias, cashews, pine nuts)
- 1 large bunch English Spinach, roots trimmed, washed well, and roughly chopped
- 1 large bunch in-season herbs, washed and roots trimmed (use coriander, basil, parsley etc)*
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice (or white vinegar if you don’t have any fresh lemons)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp fine-grain iodised salt
*when i say large, I mean at least 3 packs of what you buy in the plastic sleeves from the supermarket. Head to the weekend farmers markets to get the best value and freshness when it comes to herbs!
METHOD
- First blitz the garlic in a high-powered blender / food processor
- Next add the nuts – blitz to a rough dirt texture
- Now add your English Spinach and fresh herbs, and blitz again. You might need to scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure the stems get adequately blended
- Next is the liquid – add both the olive oil and the lemon juice, and also the salt. Process your mixture til you have a texture you like. If it seems too thick, add more olive oil or lemon juice – depending on what flavour you like. I like mine quite tangy so the lemon juice tends to win out! You could also just add a little water.
- Store in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks. Perfect as a base for pizza, as a spread on sandwich or wrap, or for dipping with vege sticks. Yum!
