We are all pretty familiar with the traditional pesto made with basil, garlic and pine nuts. But what if you just happen to have a bunch of cilantro with no plans for it? This cilantro lemon pesto is a perfect way to use it,
Pesto is simply the Italian word for paste so it can be made with so many other ingredients. Just about any fresh herb, or leafy green will work in pesto. I really love making pesto because the blender or food processor does most of the work.
Cilantro lemon pesto is perfect on fish, chicken, rice and quinoa. The acid from the lemon adds such a perfect balance to so many dishes. Add a couple of tablespoons to 2 cups of rice or quinoa (here’s my quick instruction on how to cook quinoa) for a more interesting side dish. Spoon onto cooked salmon. Toss with cooked shrimp and pasta for an easy weekday dish.
This recipe includes: cilantro, lemon, almonds, garlic, olive oil, agave (or other sweetener) and salt.
Nut-Free Pesto – if you have a nut allergy, sunflower seeds are a great substitute for the almonds. Nuts in pesto are meant to provide some body, so using seeds as the stand-in is perfect.
How to Make Pesto
Regardless of which herbs and nuts/seeds you are using, the method for making pesto is the same. The traditional method of making pesto is with a mortar and pestle but modern appliances make it so much easier. Either a food processor or high power blender will work.
Start by grinding the garlic and nuts/seeds until they are finely ground. Add the herbs, oil and other liquids and blend until it’s combined. Season with salt and you are done. No chopping or cooking necessary!
Cilantro Pesto Variation
Cilantro-Lime – This pesto can easily be turned towards a Latin flavor profile with just a couple of adjustments. Use lime juice in place of the lemon, add 1/8 tsp ground cumin, and if you have them, use pumpkin seeds in place of the almonds. With lime, cumin and garlic, it makes for great cilantro rice or a new and different topping for tacos.
Cilantro Lemon Pesto
This cilantro lemon pesto is an easy recipe than can add pizazz to rice, quinoa chicken, fish and more.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 Tbsps sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅔ c olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Remove the thick stems from the cilantro and discard. It is ok to put the thinner stems into the pesto.
- Place the garlic, seeds or nuts and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor or heavy duty blender. Run until it is finely chopped.
- Add the cilantro, oil and lemon juice and run until it is smooth. Taste. If the flavors do not pop, stir in a couple pinches of salt
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 TbspAmount Per Serving Saturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 34gCholesterol 0mgSodium 392mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 2g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated using information from the Nutritionix database. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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