Dairy & Nut Free Pesto

Dairy & Nut Free Pesto

Rachel DeBoer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, spinach, arugula or a combination
  • 2 small cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice add a tablespoon at a time, to taste
  • 0.5 cup olive oil
  • 0.5 teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
  • 4 tablespoons hemp hearts, raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds up to a ¼ cup
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast adds a "cheesy" flavor - optional
  • splash of water if needed

Instructions
 

  • Add the leafy greens, garlic cloves, and olive oil to a small blender. Puree until smoothe.Add the salt, seeds of choice, and nutritional yeast (if using), and pulse to incorporate, until it reaches desired texture. If using this pesto as a dressing, you may want to add more liquid (such as a splash of water), or if it is a thicker spread, add more seeds.Flavor balance with lemon juice, adding 1 tablespoon at a time until desired level of acidity is reached to balance the fat from the seeds and the oil. Lemon juice helps preserve the green color of the basil leaves which are prone to quick oxidation. Add additional salt if needed. (Recipe♦352)