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Not sure what to do with all the parsley you bought? How about making it into parsley pesto? This homemade vegan pesto is perfect for grains, vegetables, and pasta to add a splash of flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
- A great way to use up an abundance of parsley and arugula from your summer garden.
- A nice flavor change for pesto that you can use in all the same ways you use regular pesto.
- Simple preparation and it freezes great!
What Goes Into This Recipe
All you need are six simple ingredients to make parsley pesto with arugula! Here’s what you need:
- Garlic: Fresh garlic provides the best flavor for parsley pesto.
- Parsley: Use flat-leaf parsley with its subtle flavors of herb and lemon.
- Arugula: Adds peppery flavor to the pesto. Aim for arugula with smaller leaves that are younger and tender and likely to have a more delicate flavor. Sometimes the peppery bite of arugula can be a bit overwhelming.
- Walnuts: A budget-friendly option for pine nuts which are usually used in pesto. The flavor of walnuts works great with the flavors of parsley and arugula.
- Extra virgin olive oil: In my book, the essential oil for making pesto. It brings a bit of bright olive flavor to the pesto which isn’t found in other oils.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best!
How To Make Parsley and Arugula Pesto
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to blend until everything is finely chopped. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Want to make just parsley pesto? Great, simply replace the arugula with parsley.
- What about arugula pesto? Eliminate the parsley and use double the amount of arugula.
- A food processor is best for crushing herbs. A small bullet blender will work but might take longer and be difficult.
- Try not to overprocess the pesto in the food processor. This can cause the olive oil to turn bitter.
At first bite, the flavor of the lemon, herb, and green flavor of the parsley comes through and it finishes with the peppery hints from the arugula. It also has a bit of brightness in its flavor from the olive oil and lemon juice.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight jar or container for up to five days in the refrigerator. The color will darken slightly as it sits, especially the top layer which is exposed to air. You can usually either scrape off this top layer or stir it into pesto but it won’t be bright green after the first day or so.
- Freezer: Pesto freezes great! I like to freeze it in an ice tray. Then once it’s frozen, pop the pesto cubes out and store them in a container. This way I can take out exactly what I need to use. It thaws out in about 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.
How to Use Parsley Arugula Pesto
You can use parsley pesto with arugula in all the ways you normally use pesto. Here are some of my favorites ways:
- It tastes great with pasta, gnocchi, or couscous.
- Use as a spread on sandwiches or toast such as this vegan bagel sandwich with pesto.
- Use it to flavor Classic Hummus or other tasty dips.
- Add it to roasted vegetables and roasted potatoes.
More Vegan Sauce Recipes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Parsley Pesto with Arugula
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup of parsley
- 1 cup of arugula
- ¼ cup of walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Notes
- Want to make just parsley pesto? Great, simply replace the arugula with parsley.
- What about arugula pesto? Eliminate the parsley and use double the amount of arugula.
- A food processor is best for crushing herbs. A small bullet blender will work but might take longer and be difficult.
- Try not to overprocess the pesto in the food processor. This can cause the olive oil to turn bitter.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This is definitely the ultimate elevated pesto
So true! So yummy and full of flavor!
Love this twist on pesto … delicious and a great way to use up parsley!
Yesss – agreed! So so delicious!
So fresh and healthy! This recipe is top notch for flavor. Tasty on pretty much anything!
This pesto is next level! Love it 🙂
Love this recipe! I never know what to do with leftover parsley—from now on I’m making this!
Talk about upgrading a meal !
Love how easy this pesto is to whip up!