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–+ servings
Green garlic pesto in white bowl with spoon.
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5 from 8 votes

Green Garlic Pesto

An easy and flavorful green garlic pesto. It is fresh and delicious and wonderfully spicy and it takes just minutes to make. A handful of basil tamps down the pungency of the young garlic bulbs and pumpkin seeds add delicious nuttiness while keeping this recipe nut-free. This is also a gluten-free and soy-free and vegan recipe.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course/Sauce, Pesto
Cuisine: Italian inspired
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 80kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 stalks green garlic (trim and chop the green and white parts)
  • ½ cup basil leaves
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (lightly toasted in a skillet or microwave)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place all pesto ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor.
  • Pulse the ingredients 5-10 times so they are coarsely chopped.
  • Next, with the blade running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube until a coarse but homogenous paste forms. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to break down the green garlic completely and form a paste. Keep in mind that the garlic greens might take some time to process, so you would need to run the processor longer than you would for, say, a basil pesto.
  • Check salt and add more if needed.

Notes

  • When you buy the green garlic make sure you get firm, fresh looking stalks with no drooping or wilting. Also make sure they are not woody.
  • You can make a garlic scapes pesto using this same recipe, but you might want to add a clove or two of garlic for more garlicky flavor as the scapes are milder tasting than the stalks and bulbs of the green garlic.
  • The basil reduces the pungency of the garlic. But if you like a spicier pesto you can skip the basil altogether.
Storage instructions
  • Refrigerate: You can refrigerate pesto sauce for up to a week.
  • Freeze: Pesto freezes nicely in an airtight container. Eat it within four months.
  • Defrost: Let the frozen pesto thaw completely before you eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg