If you ever get sick of basil, or just want to get some amazing nutrients from parsley for a change, give this pesto a chance. It’s vibrant, it’s healthy and it’s vegan too! Parsley is one of the best natural detoxing ingredients. It is a powerful diuretic and relieves fluid retention, bloating, gas, GI disorders, kidney stones, and UTI. In this recipe I also use hemp seeds, which are a complete protein packed with Omega-3 fatty acids for healthy brain function, healthy skin, hair, and nails, among other benefits. They have a mild nutty taste that works perfectly in this pesto, and it’s a great substitute for people with nut allergies.
Very Green Vegan Parsley Pesto
1 big bunch of parsley (chop off the ends of stalks as they tend to be quite hard)
1/3 cup of ground almonds
1/3 cup of hemp seeds (use ½ cup of ground almonds if you don’t have any hemp seeds)
½ cup of oil (I like hempseed or rapeseed oil)
½ cup of nutritional yeast
1 large clove of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Dash of water
Salt to taste
1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
2. If you find your pesto is a little too thick – add more oil or a little more water to thin it
3. Adjust seasoning
4. Enjoy as you would basil pesto – with pasta, salads, sandwiches, added to your soup…. Possibilities are endless.
5. Store in the fridge in a jar or air tight container for up to 4 days
TIP:
I am careful with olive oil when it comes to pesto as it can be very bitter and overpowering, so feel free to experiment with milder oils!
More healthy spreads: Raw Zucchini Pesto Hummus
Roasted Kabocha Squash Pudding
Maple Chili Sweet Potato Spread
