Spring eating is all about foods that provide freshness, stimulation of the circulatory system, and natural cleansing. This Healing Spring Herb Pesto checks all the boxes. It’s also incredibly versatile. Use it to make classic pesto pasta, stir it into grain bowls, drizzle over roasted vegetables, or spread onto sandwiches.
Health Benefits of Healing Herb Pesto
Nutritive: After a long winter, rebuilding your nutrient stores in the Spring can be really healing. The leafy greens in this yummy pesto are filled with vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, iron, and folate.
Detoxifying: Dandelion leaf is a wonderful water balancer for the body and helps ease PMS, bloating, and breast tenderness. It also supports the kidneys and liver in eliminating toxins from the body. Basil has been shown to counteract oxidative stress which causes aging and plays a role in many other diseases. Cilantro is known for its potential to protect the body against heavy metal toxicity.
Stimulating: Aside from being delicious, garlic is a stimulant, particularly for the circulatory system. It dilates blood vessels which can lower blood pressure and allows blood to flow more easily throughout the body.
Healing Spring Herb Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 cup basil
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 cup dandelion greens (or substitute another leafy green like spinach, kale, or arugula)
- 1 cup pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil (or substitute water)
- 1/2 cup water (plus more to thin as needed)
Instructions
- Add the fresh herbs and greens, nuts/seeds, garlic, salt, and nutritional yeast to a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped.
- Squeeze in lemon juice. Turn on the food processor and slowly drizzle in olive oil and water until your desired consistency is reached. The pesto should be pourable, but still have body.
