Recipe: Backyard Cilantro Pesto

I know cilantro is not for everybody, and for those who’s taste buds revolt against it, I am truly sorry. For the rest of us, get ready to chow down because cilantro pesto is really stinkin’ delicious! I’ve made it twice recently and put it on pasta with arugula and burgers with all the fixings. Both were amazing, if I do say so myself. I’m pretty sure anything savory will taste better with pesto.

I happened to have a large amount of cilantro to eat all at once, thanks to our new backyard garden (totally bragging, I’m very excited about it!) So I found two good recipes online for cilantro pesto and combined the best parts of them. Here’s the result:

Recipe:

1 cup cilantro - packed in (small stems and leaves) 

2 cloves garlic 

Salt, pepper, something spicy ( I use a dash of jalapeño powder) 

2-3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 lemon’s juice 

1/2 cup cashews - soak in water overnight if you think of it ahead of time, otherwise raw works well

*a small nub of ginger - optional, but SO good, if you like ginger

1/2 cup water added slowly as you blend 

Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender and add water until it reaches an appealing consistency. Last time I made it I doubled the recipe and used the entire half cup of water. And I personally prefer the smoothness from using a blender instead of a food processor, but it still tastes good a little chunky.

You will have some especially wonderful, garlicky dragon breath and it is well worth it. Enjoy!

Originally posted April 14, 2021