Vegan Pesto with Seasonal Greens
A bright and vegetal pesto that celebrates the beauty of springtime greens like fava greens and mint. Perfect for your favorite pasta or used in a dressing for springtime salads.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fava green leaves packed
- ¾ cup carrot top greens packed
- ¼ cup mint leaves packed
- ¼ toasted pine nuts or cashews
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with this metal chopping blade, add the fava greens, mint, and carrot top leaves. Add the toasted nuts, garlic, and lemon zest. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Pulse together until finely chopped. You may need to stop the food processor a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Next, slowly add the olive oil while the machine is running until the pesto is a loose paste. Stop the food processor to taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Enjoy with your desired dish.
Notes
* To make in a mortar and pestle: coarsely chop the mint leaves and fava greens. Put the fava greens, carrot top leaves, garlic, toasted pine nuts or cashews and lemon zest in the mortar and pound until smooth. Next, add the mint. Pound to incorporate the leaves and create a paste. Keep adding the mint, then add the salt and pepper, then drizzle in the olive oil, using the pestle to pound it in until smooth. If necessary, add additional olive oil to help pesto achieve a loose consistency.
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