Simplified Pesto

This recipe is very simplified, it's quite far away from what a real pesto is, but for me the taste is perfect. On top of that - it's vegan and nut free!

When I think of pesto I think of a green sauce/paste that was made out of fresh herbs, combined with roasted seeds or nuts, garlic and olive oil. In this "pesto" recipe you can use any kind of fresh herb (e.g. basil, parsley, sage, coriander) and any kind of seeds (or nuts) that you like (e.g. sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, linseed, almonds, cashews).

I like my pesto to be a little bit chunky, so if you prefer yours to be more smooth you can add less seeds or add more olive oil.

---

Ingredients :

50-60 g fresh basil

25 g roasted sunflower seeds

25 g pumpkin seeds

2 garlic cloves

50 g olive oil

0.5-1 tsp fine sea salt (to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

---

• 

• 

• 

Method :

1. Place seeds in a pan to roast them over low-medium heat. Keep an eye on them, because once the pan is hot they burn easily. When they are browned nicely remove them from heat and leave on the side to cool down.

2. Wash your basil leaves (with stems) and chop it roughly. Place in a bowl or jug where you will be blending your pesto.

3. Peel garlic cloves and chop them up. Place in the same jug as basil.

4. Add olive oil, seeds, salt and pepper.

5. Blitz everything together using hand blender or food processor.

6. Keep it in a glass jar covered with a layer of olive oil to keep it fresh and green for longer.

Enjoy!