Homemade vegan pesto

/

I am a big Pesto fan. It's so rich in taste, nutritious and diverse. It can be red or green. It can be made with cashews, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds. Spread it on (homemade) sourdough bread or use it as a pasta or gnocchi sauce. Perfect options for a quick summer lunch.

Basil exploded in my garden this summer, so I made a few batches of green pesto. Since we moved from a house abundant in pine trees and don't harvest our own, I rarely use pine nuts, so this recipe is made with toasted pumpkin seeds. Pine nuts are pricy but also quite calorie-dense due to the significant fat content - 100 grams of pine nuts have 673 calories, while pumpkin seeds have only 446. Fat content is 68 grams (pine nuts) vs. 19 grams in pumpkin seeds. The fat in pine nuts is good fat though, so don't cross them off your shopping list yet. They only have 5 g of saturated fat (in 100 g). Still, I prefer to sprinkle them on salads or risotto and enjoy a more guilt-free pesto.

Pumpkin seeds have a high content of protein (almost 30 g in 100 g), and are rich in minerals such as manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. They are also high in antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation in the body and help cells fight free radicals. Basil is also rich in micronutrients and can help lower blood pressure and help lower cholesterol due to its essential oils. Other ingredients add to this list of health benefits. So, plenty of reasons to add green pesto to your diet.
Parsley gives this pesto an extra taste layer, don’t omit it as it won’t be the same without it!

King Oyster salad

PREP TIME: 15 MIN
1 JAR OF PESTO

Ingredients

  • 100 g sweet basil

  • 10 g rucola

  • 10 g parsley

  • 90 g lightly toasted pumpkin seeds

  • 2 medium garlic cloves

  • 4-5 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp water (more if needed)

  • 1/2 lemon (juice)

  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

  • Salt, pepper

Method

Place all the ingredients except for the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper in a high-speed blender and blend. Add more water if too thick. Start adding the salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast. Blend, taste, and add more until you are happy with the taste. You can also add a bit more lemon if you prefer. Sometimes I start with less garlic too, some garlic cloves can be powerful so it’s better to add than be overwhelmed with fresh garlic. Refrigerate and use within 10 days.
Enjoy!