Beetroot pesto? Bright red color, juicy flesh and sweet, earthy taste - thatTuber vegetables are one of the healthiest, and his pesto is a real vitamin bomb. But did you know that you can also eat beetroot leaves? Yes, it's true! Not only are they edible, but they are also ideal for salads, side dishes and pesto sauce. Take a good look at these two pesto recipes made from beetroot roots and leaves. We promise they deserve your time and attention.
Reasons why you should make pesto from beet leaves
1. It's delicious: Above all, the beetroot leaves are delicious and give the pesto a full, earthy taste that is perfectly complemented by the garlic and parmesan.
2. Less food waste: Unfortunately, beetroot leaves are often thrown away because many people don't know that they are edible.
3. Super easy: Simply mix the green leaves with nuts or seeds, cheese (or a vegan alternative to cheese), garlic, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon and you have a tasty sauce that is great for pizza, vegetables, soups and Pasta is suitable.
Start by preparing pesto from beet leaves
What you need:
- 2 beetroot leaves
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 50 g nuts of your choice
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Spices of your choice
1️. Wash and prepare
First, wash the beet leaves by cutting them from the stem, then soak them in a bowl of water. Stir them a little to remove any excess dirt, then remove them and place them on a plate to dry. Then, before making the pesto, remove any remaining tough stems from the greens.
2️. Mix green leaves, nuts or seeds, garlic and oil
Then put the cleaned and dried beet leaves in a blender. Add nuts of your choice and garlic cloves and mix until everything is finely ground. As you mix the ingredients, gradually add a little olive oil until the chopped ingredients are well coated with oil.
3️. Add cheese, spices and lemon juice to taste
As a final step, add Parmesan or its vegan alternative, salt and pepper, taste and add more until you achieve the desired taste. Cheese is naturally salty, so you shouldn't use too much salt (you can always add more, but don't take it out again!).
Store pesto in an airtight container in the fridge!
How do you make pesto without nuts?
Pesto can also be made without nuts by replacing the traditional pine nuts with seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You can also use legumes such as chickpeas, lentils or white beans instead of nuts for pesto.
How do you serve beetroot leaf pesto?
Use this leaf pesto for anything you normally useUse pesto.
- On pizzas: Use the pesto as a base instead of tomato sauce or olive oil.
- In soups: Stir some pesto into soups.
- On fried vegetables: We like to drizzle a little pesto on roasted carrots or steamed cauliflower.
- In noodles: There is nothing better than pasta with pesto, so mix cooked pasta of your choice with the pesto made from beetroot leaves.
- In Smoothies: Beet leaves can be used excellently in juices. They are low in calories and are a good optionsource of vitamin C,Vitamin K and potassium.
Recipe for beetroot pesto
What you need:
- 2 medium sized beets
- 1/3 cup pine nuts (50 grams)
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Rock salt if necessary
There are two ways to make beetroot pesto. If you like an earthy flavor, roast the beets in the oven. To do this, preheat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wash, peel and roughly dice the beetroot. Drizzle some olive oil over the sliced beetroot and toss to combine. Bake in the oven until the beets are tender – 10-15 minutes. Turn them periodically to ensure they bake evenly.
The other option is to use cooked beets. To do this, cook the beets in water, salt and turmeric in a pressure cooker for about 15 minutes. Then peel the skin and chop it roughly. Add to blender. Mix in pine nuts, chopped garlic, dried or fresh parsley, rock salt, lemon juice and olive oil.
Puree until a smooth paste forms. Make sure there are no large pieces of beetroot. Pour this pesto sauce into an airtight container. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. It has a pleasant earthy taste.
How to serve beet pesto
There are many different and endless ways to use beet pesto, here are just a few:
- Spread it on toasted bread and enjoy a delicious snack.
- Add it to salads.
- Use it as a dip for baked chips.
- Add it to grilled corn.
- Use it as a pizza or pasta sauce.
- Add it to pancake batter to make pink pancakes.
