Broccoli pesto
This broccoli pesto is a great zero waste recipe, using up the whole of the broccoli, including the stalks. It’s a good way to get an extra portion of veggies in your diet and is good for batch cooking and freezing too.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g broccoli broken into florets and stalks roughly chopped
- 25 g basil leaves roughly torn
- 50 g pumpkin and sunflower seeds or cashew nuts or pine nuts
- 1 lemon juiced
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan alternative
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli and stalks and cook for five minutes, until just beginning to soften.
- Drain and place in a bowl filled with ice cubes and water. This step isn’t essential but it will help to retain the vibrant green colour of the broccoli.
- Once cooled, put the cooked broccoli into a food processor or blender jug along with 25g roughly torn basil leaves, 50g mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds, the juice of a lemon, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt.
- Blend until broken down, stopping to scrape the sides down at least once.
- Add the remaining olive oil slowly while continuing to blend until you have the consistency you like. Taste and add extra lemon juice and/or salt if needed.
- Serve with your favourite pasta shape.
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
- Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to three days. Cover the top with extra olive oil to prevent the pesto from going brown.
- Suitable for freezing. Best eaten within three months.
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 18mgPotassium: 313mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 537IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
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