Mexican Cilantro Pesto Recipe (With Vegan Option)
This cilantro pesto recipe has a Mexican twist that you're going to love. My easy recipe can be made either vegetarian or vegan and both are an incredibly delicious treat!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 190kcal
Equipment
- a rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2.65 oz cilantro leaves try to remove as much of the stems as possible
- 2.47 oz Cotija cheese
- 1.76 oz unsalted almonds
- 2 large garlic cloves peeled and roughly minced
- 1 small Serrano pepper stem removed and roughly chopped * (or sub with raw jalapeno pepper)
- ⅓ cup to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil**
- fine sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse and dry a big bunch of cilantro. Remove any tough stems, but don't stress too much about getting every single one. The stems add lots of flavor too.
- Place the whole almonds in the food processor and process just until they have broken down to a coarse grain -- do not over process and turn into almond butter.
- Next break the cheese up into several pieces and add it to the food processor, pulse until it breaks down -- about three pulses. Now add the cilantro, garlic, and chile pepper and pulse a couple of times so it blends into the cheese and almonds. If you're making the vegan cilantro pesto then add your vegan cheese, and nutritional yeast now. If you want to use the lime or lemon juice then add it to the food processer now too.
- Now turn the processor to the lowest setting and pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Slowly add more oil until you achieve the texture you would like for your pesto sauce. (I ended up adding just a bit over one third cup of olive oil.)
- Using the rubber spatula scrap out the finished pesto into a large bowl. Taste and if needed sprinkle in a little bit of salt and thoroughly mix until well combined. (The Cotija can be a tad salty for some, so you may not need to add the salt.)
- Pour the delicious pesto into an airtight container or divide into small mason jars. If storing for later use you can drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on the surface of the pesto, then secure the lid on and refrigerate.
Notes
*If you'd like a spicier pesto use the seeds, otherwise for a milder sauce discard the seeds. You can also add more chilies if desired.
**It is important that you work the oil slowly into the pesto. Doing so will allow you to control the texture of the sauce. I tend to add a bit less so that my pesto is a tad thicker, also because when I cook the pesto I always sauté it in some olive oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 6servings | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 904IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg
