I love making pesto with basil during the summer months when I have an abundance of it, but…during the rest of the year, cilantro pesto holds it’s own at a fraction of the cost! This pesto is dairy free, unlike a traditional pesto. I don’t think it sacrifices anything though, because the avocado and toasted cashews add a delicious creamy depth of flavor.
Be sure to remove any big stems from the cilantro before coarsely chopping it.
I like the flavor of this pesto with the cashews lightly toasted because it adds a good amount of richness. If you want to keep this recipe completely 100% raw, skip the toasting step.
Tip: I find it easiest to use a spoon to scoop the avocado out of it’s shell rather than trying to peel it!
Place all of the ingredients for the pesto into a blender or food processor. The blender produces a slightly smooth pesto but the food processor works as well.
If you’re using the blender: blend on low speed using the tamper to keep the ingredients moving along. It will take a couple of minutes for the pesto to come together.
If you’re using the food processor: process the ingredients together, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides until the pesto is mostly smooth
This pesto will keep for up to 1 day if you place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto and store it in the refrigerator.
If you’re serving your Cilantro Pesto with Zucchini Noodles, make a full recipe and cut up lots of fresh tomatoes, (about 3 cups) for a topping.
Toss the noodles together with the batch of pesto and arrange them on plates or in a serving dish. Finally, top the noodles with the tomatoes or pass them on the side.
This time, I served my Cilantro Pesto with zucchini and summer squash ‘noodles’ but it’s also amazing as an accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish. It also makes a great topping for Stir-Fried Vegetables on the Grill, or stirred into scrambled eggs for breakfast!
PrintCilantro Pesto over Zucchini Noodles
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: makes 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of cilantro, (4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup cashews, lightly roasted
- 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 Teaspoons sea salt
- 4 cloves of garlic minced, measuring 1 Tablespoon
- 1 recipe of Zucchini Noodles
- Freshly chopped tomatoes, about 3 cups
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the cilantro, leaving most of the stems behind.
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on a low speed using the tamper to keep the mixture moving. It will take a couple of minutes before the pesto becomes fairly smooth.
- If you’re using a food processor: process all ingredients, scraping down the sides as necessary until the pesto is mostly smooth.
- Serve immediately as desired or with a recipe of Zucchini Noodles and freshly chopped tomatoes.
Notes
To keep this recipe totally raw, skip roasting the cashews.
13 Comments on “Cilantro Pesto over Zucchini Noodles”
(I accidentally posted this comment on your “zoodle recipe”)
I was craving something a little WARM for this delicious recipe, so I added a heated up can of CHICKPEAS, drained, on top of the dish. Delicious!!
No problem, I was kind of wondering about what you said on that recipe, but it makes perfect sense here! I’m so glad you enjoyed this! 🙂