Author Notes
There is nothing better than the taste of freshly homemade pesto used as a dip with crudités, on grilled veggies, spread on corn on the cob, or served over pasta (try rice noodles!). This version is vegan, and combines the amazing flavors of basil, lime, garlic, and ginger. The ground flax and hemp seeds make a great texture substitute for the cheese -it is so good! GF/DF
—denise | {wholly rooted}
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
4 cups
slightly packed fresh basil leaves
-
1 cup
raw cashews
-
1 tablespoon
grated garlic
-
1 tablespoon
grated ginger
-
1 teaspoon
sea salt
-
3 tablespoons
ground flaxmeal
-
1 tablespoon
hemp seeds
-
Juice of 1 small/medium lime (use only 1/2 if your lime is huge)
-
1/4 to 1/2 cups
extra virgin olive oil
Directions
-
First, using a food processor, pulse your raw cashews with the flax meal and hemp seeds until finely ground.
-
Take the ground mixture out of the food processor and put it in a bowl for now.
-
Next, pulse the basil, salt, garlic, and ginger until finely chopped. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula once to be sure you get it all.
-
Add back the ground nut/flax/hemp mixture and pulse while adding the freshly squeezed lime juice.
-
Finally, turn the food processor on and slowly drizzle the olive oil in the top, until you reach a creamy spoonable pesto consistency.
-
Pulse in some freshly ground pepper to taste.
-
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be sure to use an airtight container and put a layer of olive oil or plastic wrap on the surface to keep the basil from darkening if you are storing it in the fridge for later.
-
You can also freeze this in small freezer-safe containers or in cubes (freeze in ice cube trays and when frozen empty into freezer bags). Whenever you want some pesto simply pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw on your counter before using.
See what other Food52ers are saying.