Spring Green Pesto
I love fresh salads, but sometimes I just don’t feel like crunching through any more crispy greens. I also want my kids to enjoy them (and get the good nutrition packed into Featherstone’s organic greens).
Turning fresh greens into a pesto makes a flavor-packed condiment that’s perfect for pasta, grilled fish or chicken, and roasted veggies too.
You’ll need a blender or food processor to make this. It comes together quickly. I made my last batch in the time it took for our pasta to cook.
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 5 c. mixed greens washed and mostly dry, leave stems intact
- ¼ c. sliced almonds untoasted
- 1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
- ¾ c. olive oil
- Lemon zest 1 Tbsp. if fresh, 2 tsp. if dried
- Salt to taste I go light at first since the parmesan cheese can have a salty flavor to it
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor combine the greens, olive oil, cheese, lemon zest and salt.
- Blend until smooth. You may need to turn off the blender and stir the greens around a bit at the beginning to help the process along.
- Stir in lemon juice.
- Taste and add salt as desired.
- Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to five days.
Notes
This recipe is for mixed spring greens, but the idea works for arugula or spinach too. When I use arugula, I like adding in some mint to counter the bite of the arugula. The spring greens make a pesto with a wonderful bright color that just feels like late spring/early summer to me.
If using with pasta, the pesto mixes in best when the pasta is warm. 
