homemade pestos
To say that we love pesto would be an understatement. Garden fresh and so versatile, pesto is perfect to keep on hand for a quick dinner with zucchini noodles, as a dip with crudité, or for topping our Quinoa Flatbread Pizza. Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts and basil, but we like to switch it up based on what we have available. Swap in walnuts or sunflower seeds in place of pine nuts. Add in any dark leafy greens for a slightly different variation—use those “double agents,” like beet greens and carrot tops! Pesto also freezes well, so you can freeze it in an ice cube tray for easy defrosting.
CONDIMENTS
ARUGULA PESTO
Yield 1 cup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time None
CLEANSE
1 clove garlic
1 cup arugula, packed
½ cup fresh basil, packed
Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tbsp)
¼ cup pine nuts
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
In a high-speed blender or food processor, pulse the garlic until minced, then scrape down the sides. Add the arugula, basil, lemon juice, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the oil until fully emulsified.
CONDIMENTS
BEET GREEN PESTO
Yield 1 cup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time None CLEANSE
1 clove garlic
1½ cups beet greens, packed
½ cup fresh basil, packed
Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tbsp)
¼ cup walnuts
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
In a high-speed blender or food processor, process the garlic until minced, then scrape down the sides. Add the beet greens, basil, lemon juice, walnuts, salt, and pepper, and process until smooth and creamy. With the food processor running, drizzle in the oil until fully emulsified.
CONDIMENTS
CARROT TOP PESTO
Yield 1 cup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time None CLEANSE
1 clove garlic
Greens from 1 bunch organic carrots, thoroughly washed
¼ cup raw almonds or sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours, drained and rinsed
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a high-speed blender or food processor, process the garlic until minced, then scrape down the sides. Add the carrot greens and almonds or sunflower seeds. Pulse a few times to break up the ingredients. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture is emulsified but still has some texture. Add salt and pepper, and pulse once more.
variation
What about cheese? If you love a cheesy pesto, add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (when not cleansing) for a boost of B vitamins and a creamier, cheesier pesto.