Quick & Easy Mint Pesto

Pin itFollow us 148.4k

I’ve been buying a spicy mint chimichurri at the farmer’s market lately that I’ve been putting on everything from salads, sandwiches, to tacos, to curry. It’s GOOD.

I thought it was about time to recreate a version of that and while this one isn’t spicy you could definitely spice it up by adding in a serrano pepper.

Don’t be intimidated by the mint flavor if you’re not used to pairing it with savory dishes as it goes with just about anything, especially lamb. You can use almonds or feel free to swap them out for pine nuts or even macadamia nuts. Sunflower seeds also work well for a nut-free pesto.

Nutritional values (per serving, 1 tbsp/ 15 g/ 0.5 oz)

Ingredients (makes about 1 ¹/₄ cups/ 300 ml)

• 2 cups packed mint leaves (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
• ¹/₄ cup slivered almonds or sunflower seeds (25 g/ 0.9 oz)
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• zest of ¹/₂ lemon (about 1 tsp)
• ³/₄ cup olive oil (180 ml/ 6 fl oz)
• sea salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• Optional: 1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeds and veins removed

Instructions

1. Place the mint, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and lemon zest in a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely minced. With the machine running slowly stream in the olive oil.
   
   
2. Season with salt to taste. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or freeze in small manageable portions (e.g. in an ice cube tray) for up to 3 months.

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 1 tbsp/ 15 g/ 0.5 oz)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Mint, fresh
0.3 g	0.2 g	0 g	4 kcal
Almonds, nuts, blanched and slivered
0.1 g	0.3 g	0.7 g	8 kcal
Garlic, fresh
0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Lemon zest (peel), fresh
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g	0 g	8.1 g	72 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Pepper, black, spices
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Total per serving, 1 tbsp/ 15 g/ 0.5 oz
0.6 g	0.5 g	8.9 g	84 kcal

Pin itFollow us 148.4k