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Recipe Detail Page
Asian Pesto
Autumn 2016
Fresh and bright, this vegan and lactose-free pesto is wonderful tossed with noodles or as a dip for spring rolls or grilled tofu. Or try tossingit with a medley of grilled or oven-roasted veggies for a deliciously different warm salad.
Makes about 1½ cups (375 mL)
¼ cup (60 mL) toasted white sesame seeds
6 cups (1.5 L) lightly packed fresh coriander leaves and stems, washed well and spun or patted dry
2 cups (500 mL) lightly packed fresh Thai basil leaves and tender top parts of stems, washed and spun or patted dry
½ cup (125 mL) raw, unsalted cashews
1 knob of fresh ginger, 2 inches (5 cm) coarsely chopped, about 3 tbsp (45 mL)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 to 3 scallions, trimmed and coarsely chopped
½ cup (125 mL) peanut oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice
½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt
1 To toast the sesame seeds, add to a dry skillet over medium heat. Agitate the pan or stir constantly; sesame seeds can burn in the blink of an eye, and a burned sesame seed is a bitter sesame seed! Toast until most of the seeds are a light golden colour; remove from heat and set aside to cool. Keep in mind, the heat of the pan will continue to brown the sesame, so stir once or twice while cooling.
2 Into the bowl of a food processor, add the coriander and Thai basil and pulse to break down just enough to make room for the rest of the ingredients.
3 Once all the coriander and Thai basil have broken down somewhat, add the rest of the ingredients: cashews, ginger, garlic, scallions, peanut oil, lime juice, salt and cooled sesame seeds. Blend until fairly smooth.
STORAGE TIP
Pesto keeps very well in the refrigerator—up to a week—and freezes well too. This recipe makes a pretty big batch, so we suggest refrigerating some in a covered container and freezing the rest for another time.
Makes about 1½ cups (375 mL)
