Description
A fresh and vibrant dairy-free pesto made with radish greens, toasted pine nuts, lemon, and extra virgin olive oil. This zero-waste recipe transforms an often-overlooked ingredient into a versatile sauce that’s delicious with roasted vegetables, grilled meats, eggs, salads, and more.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 packed cups (about 70g) chopped, well-washed radish greens
- 1 scallion, roughly chopped
- 1 green garlic, roughly chopped (or 1 garlic clove)
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 30-40g pine nuts
- 1/8 cup (30ml) filtered water
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Optional
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste (if not dairy-free)
- Extra water or extra virgin olive oil, to adjust the consistency
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over low heat until lightly golden and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Stir frequently and watch carefully, as they can burn quickly. Allow them to cool.
- Add the cooled pine nuts, radish greens, scallion, green garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, water, salt, and pepper to a high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice as needed.
- If you’d like a thinner pesto for drizzling or using as a dressing, blend in a little more water or extra virgin olive oil until you reach your preferred consistency.
- Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Buy organic and wash the greens well. Radish greens often trap soil between the leaves. Wash them thoroughly in several changes of water and dry them well before blending.
No green garlic? A regular garlic clove works perfectly. For an even milder flavor, you can simply leave it out.
Make it dairy-free or traditional. This pesto is naturally dairy-free, but if you enjoy a classic pesto flavor, stir in some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano after blending.