If you have a blender and fresh basil leaves on hand, making homemade pesto is surprisingly easy. The flavor is brighter and fresher than store-bought pesto, and you can adapt the ingredients to suit your diet and preferences.
We made our healthy pesto recipe seed-cycling-friendly by replacing the traditional pine nuts with raw pumpkin seeds. Seed cycling is an affordable and natural way to balance your hormones and support your monthly cycle. You can read all about how to practice seed cycling here.
While there are different ways to prepare pesto, we adapted a traditional pesto recipe to make this vegan pesto without nuts. It’s a plant-based, allergy-friendly alternative flavored with garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Olive oil balances out the acidity of the other ingredients to create a balanced, delicious spread or sauce.
This green pesto can be made with any fresh herbs you have on hand - it’s amazing with mint and cilantro.
Whip up our basil pumpkin seed pesto recipe today to serve with chicken, fish, stir-fries, or pasta.
Serves 6 (Click here to print!)
190 calories per serving
Ingredients:
⅔ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
3 raw garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil or avocado oil (get my favorite quality brand here)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Use a food processor, immersion blender, or cup-sized blender to blend all ingredients together until pesto is mostly smooth.
Store covered tightly in the refrigerator and enjoy within 24 hours.
What’s your favorite way to use pesto? Please share in the comments!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and FunctionalDetoxProducts.com.
Check our her easy 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here!
Of all of the symptoms that women experience with their menstrual cycles, menstrual migraines are among the most debilitating. Read on to learn what they are and how to avoid them.