This beet green pesto recipe is garlicky and spicy, simple to make, and is a great no cook pasta sauce for summer nights. Best beet top recipes! If you are wondering what to do with leftover beet greens that you got from a veggie or local CSA box then look no further.
Pesto is a perfect beet greens recipe to make with fresh abundant greens. The raw garlic in the pesto compliments the slightly spicy beet greens, and combines to make a fantastic, simple, and quick summer sauce. No cooking required and ready in 5 minutes. Its great over pasta, as a dip, or drizzled over pizza for that extra kick.
This Beet Green Pesto Is:
- Packed with flavor!
- Bright
- Bold
- Slightly spicy
- Fresh
- Raw vegan, gluten free, paleo friendly, whole30 approved!
Pesto is one of those staple sauces that we enjoy all year round! In the summer our garden yields tons of beet greens to use in pesto, but you can use any green you have on hand. I like spinach, kale, mustard greens, etc. We love pesto stirred into pasta. I also love to add a heaping scoop of pesto into my Pesto Risotto or use it as a main ingredient in my Soup Au Pistou! Of all the fresh greens we’ve made in pesto, I gotta say that beet greens rank at the top.
Whats In This Beet Green Pesto?
- Fresh Beet Greens: Whether you grow your own beets, or buy beets at the store with the tops still on – use can use the leaves to make fresh and vibrant recipes.
- Basil: Traditional in Italian pesto, the fresh basil adds a kick and complexity that pairs really well with the mustard greens.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
- Walnuts: because YUM in this pesto. I stocked up a few bags of these Amazon-brand walnuts which are super cheap and a great value for the quality.
- Olive Oil: I like to use this delicious Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
- Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: I like to use a pink Himalayan Sea Salt in my kitchen, which has more natural minerals than plain processed table salt. It’s fairly inexpensive, so I’d recommend this salt if you’re looking for an easy way to level up your spice pantry.
- Tellicherry Black Pepper: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper. This pepper is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor! I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend.
Beet Green Recipes For the WIN!
On a whim, we decided to grow mustard greens in our garden… and they exploded! They are a hearty and resilient green which stood up to the cooler May nights, and continued to thrive in the warm and wet June. A groundhog got into them a little (we have since put fencing up) but we have been harvesting them for weeks now.
Aside from this pesto, another favorite mustard greens recipe we have is chopping the raw greens and adding them to tacos. A nice and spicy bite! They go great with fresh chopped red onion, TVP taco meat, and warm corn tortilla shells right out of the oven.
How Do I Make This Pesto with Beet Greens?
- In a food processor add the beet greens, basil, garlic, almonds, and salt.
- Pulse a few times, then turn the food processor on low and steam in the olive oil. Stop, and check the consistency, adding more olive oil if needed.
- Toss with fresh pasta, use pesto as a sauce on homemade pizza, or enjoy pesto as a dip for vegetables or bread
What Else Can I Cook With Beet Greens?
While there are tons of ways to cook beet greens, this beet pesto has been our favorite method by far! This pesto recipe really compliments the fresh, bold, spicy flavor of the leaves. For a little extra spice, a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes would be an ideal addition to this sauce.
To make this beet pesto you can use either the blender or the food processor. I used the blender, but either appliance will give you an awesome texture and flavor. Use less olive oil for a chunkier sauce, and more for a thinner sauce.
Dietary Modifications
So, this pesto is already vegan, gluten free, whole30, and paleo friendly! Traditionally pesto recipes use cheese, which I opted to leave out of this for a dairy free version. But if you aren’t vegan or dairy-free then I would recommended adding a big scoop of freshly grated parmesan in the sauce or to top your pasta before serving.
Enjoy this Vegan Beet Green Pesto Recipe With:
- Toss with cooked pasta for a delicious dinner
- Add to Garlic Lovers Garlic Bread
- Use pesto as a pizza sauce, or top your pizza with a drizzle
- Mix a scoop into risotto for a delicious pesto risotto
- Make pesto soup, which combines fresh vegetables, beans, noodles, and pesto in the broth
Get the Same Ingredients I Use For My Vegan Beet Green Pesto Recipe!
As always, if you make this beet greens pesto be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Beet Green Pesto
This beet green pesto is garlicky and spicy, simple to make, and is a great no cook pasta sauce for summer nights. Great way to use mustard greens from your garden.
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups beet greens loosely chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil plus more if needed
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add the beet greens, basil, garlic, almonds, and salt. Pulse a few times, then turn the food processor on low and steam in the olive oil. Stop, and check the consistency, adding more olive oil if needed.
- Toss with fresh pasta, use pesto as a sauce on homemade pizza, or enjoy pesto as a dip for vegetables or bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 335mgPotassium: 245mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1522IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
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Or tag me @theherbeevore in your photo on Instagram!
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What can I do if my pesto is too thick? I keep adding oil but it’s not doing anything. I think I put too many almonds.😬 I don’t want to throw it away. If I can’t fix it is there anything I can make with it?
Hi Tina, if I’m making pasta to go along with my pesto I’ll usually add some pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce a bit. You can try that – or regular water! Just 1 tablespoon at a time, then test it again. Let me know how it works!
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It looks so delicious, I’ll try it too. Thank you for the recipe, I am sure it will taste very good.