Homemade cilantro pesto made with fresh cilantro leaves, blanched almonds, red onions, serrano chili and olive oil.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I’ve tried growing cilantro several times over the years. Each time the plants would shoot before I could use them properly.
As the cilantro matures, the stems thicken and the leaves become much larger, indicating “before bolting” and a good time to make cilantro pesto.
Unlike basil pesto, this pesto doesn’t require parmesan or garlic. The complementary flavors are red onion and serrano chile instead.
Also, almonds are used instead of pine nuts. Almonds seem to enhance the flavor of the cilantro rather than compete with it.
Use the pesto with pasta, as a filling, or with chicken in tacos. A portion of this batch was mixed with some cottage cheese for a delicious tortilla chip dip.
Cilantro pesto
If you like it spicy, you can add more serrano chilies. A full teaspoon makes a nice, warm pesto.
ingredients
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2 cups packed coriander including stem
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1/2 Cup blanched almonds
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1/4 Cup chopped Red onion
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1/2 teaspoon chopped and cored serrano Chile
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 Cup Extra virgin olive oil
special equipment
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food processor
method
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Roast Almonds:
Heat a small pan on high. When the pan is hot, add the blanched almonds in a single layer. Stir with a wooden spoon. When the almonds are fragrant and begin to brown, remove them from the pan.
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In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, almonds, onion, chili, and salt until well combined.
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Add oil slowly:
With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.
Add more oil as needed.
You can freeze what you don’t use. Line an ice cube tray with cling film and fill the spaces between the cubes with the pesto. Freeze and remove from ice tray, place in a sealed freezer bag for later use.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 114 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 2g | carbohydrates |
| 2g | protein |
