Cilantro Pesto
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (70g) Southern Grove Pistachios (unsalted or salted)* or Southern Grove Deluxe Roasted Cashews
- 2 ½ loosely packed cups (36 to 40g) cilantro leaves and tender stems (no thick stems)
- 3 small garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (remove membranes for mild version; with membranes, it’s a tad spicy)
- 1 medium lemon or 1 large lime, zested and juiced
- A pinch of salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- ⅓ cup (75g) Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Add the pistachios (or cashews) to a food processor and blitz until they're in small pieces. Add the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lemon or lime zest, 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, salt, and black pepper to taste. Blend until a paste forms, scraping down the sides as you go along. Push the mixture into the middle of the food processor.
- With the motor running, stream in the olive oil to start to form a sauce. Scrape down the sides again, and stream in more oil as needed until you have a smooth yet thick texture.
- If the pesto is still not smooth enough but you don't want to add more oil, add a spoon of water at a time until the sauce comes together into a creamy, spoonable consistency. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, lime, or garlic as needed. If it’s a bit bitter (depends on cilantro quality), add more lime juice and salt, and a pinch of sugar or agave nectar.
Notes
*If your nuts are unsalted, use more salt. Start with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or ⅛ teaspoon sea salt and add more as needed.