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Golden Beet Pesto
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5 from 6 votes

Vegan Golden Beet Pesto

Here's a great way to eat your veggies and make your food pretty and delicious, all at the same time. This golden beet pesto needs just a handful of ingredients, it comes together in minutes, and it is perfect stirred into a pasta. A vegan, soy-free, gluten-free recipe. Can be nut-free.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Condiment, Pesto
Cuisine: Italian fusion
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 121kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound golden beets (or red beets, about 4 medium beets, cleaned and trimmed. Peel if you like, I leave the skins on when using organic beets)
  • 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • ¼ cup walnuts (lightly toasted. Use pumpkin seeds if nut-free)
  • 1-2 teaspoon ground cumin (see tips and tricks above for other flavoring ideas)
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes (packed in oil is what I used but you could use any kind. Olives are a great substitute, as are capers. Use 2 tablespoon if using capers.)
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (you can use less if you want to keep this lower in fat. You may need to add some water or vegetable stock to get the right consistency)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This is much easier to do in a toaster oven, but if you don't have one a conventional oven is fine.
  • Place the trimmed and cleaned beets on a large piece of foil. Sprinkle on some salt, spray with cooking spray, and wrap in the foil. Place in the oven and roast 45 minutes or until a knife in the center of a beet goes cleanly through.
  • When the beets are clean enough to handle, chop them into large pieces. Place in a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients and process into a coarse paste.
  • Stir into spaghetti or any long pasta.

Notes

Inspired by this recipe from Martha Stewart.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg