After possibly the bleakest winter ever (#COVID), we are finally seeing the first breaths of spring. While there are for sure some delicious hearty winter recipes that I love, the warmer months bring out some of the best in foods in my opinion. A couple of things I use a lot of at this time of year are fresh herbs and citrus fruits – I use them in salad dressings, with white fish, alongside baby potatoes or pasta. It really lifts the whole dish, perfect for warm evenings. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate pesto (it’s straight-up delicious). But, it can be a little on the richer side, which isn’t always what I’m looking for. So if you’re like me, this pesto recipe will be right up your street – it’s fresher, lighter and got more of a “zing” to it than traditional pesto, while still being full of flavour and packing a powerful punch of creamy basil. Oh – and for all my plant-based eaters out there, this recipe’s totally plant-based.

I may be being slightly over-excited to post this – we quite literally are just dipping our toes into the warmer months. But hey, I’m an optimist.

Although pesto is traditionally paired with pasta, it can be used for so much more. This pesto recipe works great as an alternative for using in whatever way you desire – toss it with some baby boiled potatoes for a potato salad with a twist, spread a thick layer onto white fish or some chicken to amp up the flavour, use it as a spread in a sandwich or toastie, or of course, pair with wholewheat pasta.

As always, it’s super simple and quick to make (I will be outside soaking up every ray of run I can) – just take 10 minutes while the rest of your food is cooking and you have a delicious, creamy, and healthy pesto.

Creamy Plant-Based Pesto

Recipe by Katie Wilson at Salt & HoneyCourse: Main Meals, Sauces & DressingsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

This super simple, plant-based pesto recipe is a lighter alternative to traditional pesto, perfect for summer months. Toss it with some baby boiled potatoes for a potato salad with a twist, spread a thick layer onto white fish or some chicken to amp up the flavour, use it as a spread in a sandwich or toastie, or of course, pair with wholewheat pasta.

Ingredients

• 75g cashews

• 50g pine nuts

• 1 small avocado

• Juice 1 lemon

• 50g fresh basil

• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 3 cloves garlic

• Pinch salt

• Water (~3 tbsp)

Directions

• Ad all ingredients except the water to a food processor and blitz until smooth. The longer you blend, the smoother of a consistency you’ll get. Add the water at the end in increments – this allows you to adjust the consistency to your own preference, or intended use.