Hello! I wanted to share the Avocado Pesto recipe I posted on Instagram for all of you avocado lovers :) I can't really take credit though. I was catching up on reading my food and nutrition magazines this weekend when I came across my EatingWell Magazine from Jan/Feb.. yeah I'm way behind! Anyways, there is a whole feature in the back of the magazine on Jason Mraz and his avocado farm! Who knew? You can check out the piece online here and the recipe here.
I tweaked the recipe some because we got some garlic scapes in our CSA this week. Yeah I had never heard of them either.. They are green shoots or stalks of hard-neck garlic varieties. Basically, you can use them like green onions.
I tweaked the recipe some because we got some garlic scapes in our CSA this week. Yeah I had never heard of them either.. They are green shoots or stalks of hard-neck garlic varieties. Basically, you can use them like green onions.
I needed to put my new food processor to good use though, so I just threw everything in.
Jason's Avocado Pesto Recipe
Makes: 2 cups
Serving Size: 2-Tbsp.
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
Strip basil leaves from the stems and add to a food processor along with avocados, walnuts (or hemp seeds), lemon juice, garlic and salt; pulse until finely chopped. Add oil and process to form a thick paste. Season with pepper.
Jason's Avocado Pesto Recipe
Makes: 2 cups
Serving Size: 2-Tbsp.
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large bunch fresh basil
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 cup walnuts or hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Ground pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Strip basil leaves from the stems and add to a food processor along with avocados, walnuts (or hemp seeds), lemon juice, garlic and salt; pulse until finely chopped. Add oil and process to form a thick paste. Season with pepper.
Lainey's Changes:
Next time I make it, I'm going to cut back on the avocado. I love avocados, but I was really going for a pesto taste here and it came out tasting more like guacamole, so I would start with one avocado. For that reason, I also had to add more acid, hence the extra lemon juice. I also added a teeny bit of apple cider vinegar. You can play around with it by adding more lemon juice, oil, garlic, spices, or salt until it meets your pesto expectations.
To finish the meal, I sautéed some mushrooms, kale, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil for our final dish: Veggie Pasta with Avocado Pesto.
- 3-4 garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- dash of cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
- apple cider vinegar to taste
Next time I make it, I'm going to cut back on the avocado. I love avocados, but I was really going for a pesto taste here and it came out tasting more like guacamole, so I would start with one avocado. For that reason, I also had to add more acid, hence the extra lemon juice. I also added a teeny bit of apple cider vinegar. You can play around with it by adding more lemon juice, oil, garlic, spices, or salt until it meets your pesto expectations.
To finish the meal, I sautéed some mushrooms, kale, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil for our final dish: Veggie Pasta with Avocado Pesto.
You can also save any pesto that you don't use and add to other dishes. I added some to this leftover Quinoa Beet Spinach bowl.
Bon Appetit!