I’ve been making this delicious pesto for over a decade. Usually, I make it in bulk and store it in meal-sized portions in the freezer for an easy way to add some amazing flavor to a meal. When you prepare and consume fairly simple foods, sometimes a sauce, or pesto, or special spice combination is a really lovely change-up. This pesto is fantastic because it’s crazy versatile. I’ve used it on rice, quinoa, sautéed greens, roasted veggies, and on top of fish. It really can go with just about anything. My partner eats it by the spoonful.
The recipe below has nutritional yeast in place of the original parmesan, both options work equally well and I honestly can barely taste the difference between the two. So if you’re vegan or dairy free, opt for the nutritional yeast which is a great source of vitamins B12, B6, thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin.
- 1 large bunch cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or grated parmesan cheese
- 1½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ cup shelled pistachios
- coarse salt & fresh ground pepper to taste (start with ¼ tsp each)
- ¼ cup avocado or olive oil
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 lime, juiced
- Chop off the ends of the cilantro greens.
- Coarse chop the garlic cloves.
- Juice the lime.
- In a food processor or blender add cilantro (some of stem is fine), garlic, vinegar, nutritional yeast/parmesan, cayenne, smoked paprika, pistachios, salt, pepper and lime juice. Pulse a few times to chop and mix. Then add oil and broth. Pulse until the consistency is to your liking. Use immediately or divide into smaller portions and freeze for later use (good for up to 6 months).
*Not all calories are equal.