Lemon Balm Pesto Recipe
This lemon balm pesto recipe is bright, fresh, and loaded with the sweet basil flavor of lemon balm. Lemon balm recipes for summer or spring, everyone will love.
Serve this pesto over freshly cooked pasta, slathered on garlic bread, or added to a fresh vegetable soup.
Want more great pesto recipes? Try our almond pesto sauce, red pepper pesto, or our favorite sharp and tangy mustard green pesto recipe.
I have absolutely been loving cooking with lemon balm lately! We are growing some lemon balm in our Aerogarden at the moment, and it is taking over. I’m not at all mad about it. We first got out lemon balm seeds as part of a garden tea mix… but I decided that I wanted to explore cooking with fresh lemon balm as well.
Lemon balm is slightly minty, slightly sweet, and the flavor lends itself perfectly to this blended pesto dish. I made my lemon balm smoothie the other day, so if you have extra lemon balm in your garden or yard, give that one a go.
This Lemon Balm Pesto Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Vibrant
- Minty
- Savory
- Sweet
- Vegan & gluten free
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Lemon Balm: also called lemon basil, basil balm, or lemon mint. I am growing quite a bit in my Aerogarden at the moment (it’s only early April) but I plan to line our creek bed with some this summer.
- Fresh basil, which is traditional in pesto.
- 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.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Walnuts
- Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemons if you have it, or this really great bottled lemon that you can keep in your pantry if you don’t have fresh lemons. This lemon is great for dressings, dips, and even cocktails.
- Salt & Pepper
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! if you don’t like spice, you can absolutely skip them in this recipe.
Additions or Substitutions
I used walnut, but you could use pine nuts (which are traditional in pesto) or even almonds for a different texture and flavor.
Add parmesan cheese in your pesto for a more classic Italian version. I left it out, as I wanted a vegan pesto, but you could also use a plant-based parmesan cheese if desired.
Leave out the chili flakes for a milder pesto.
Grow Fresh Lemon Balm on Your Counter All Year Long
We got this great 6-Pod Aerogarden which is fantastic for growing herbs in the winter. We actually got it when we lived in a smaller apartment, but even now that we own an acreage we still use it indoors year-round! I love growing herbs on my countertop like fresh basil, dill, mint, sage, thyme, parsley, and lemon balm.
It uses LED lights and water, so no messy soil needed – you can have fresh herbs at your fingertips any time. I love picking a few springs of parsley to chop on pastas, adding basil leaves to soups, and tossing some dill in with my pasta salads. This Aerogarden is a great gift for anyone who would like fresh herbs… no large kitchen space or green thumb required!
How To Make Pesto with Lemon Balm
- In a blender or food processor add the lemon balm, basil, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper, or pepper flakes if using.
- Pulse in quick bursts until the pesto becomes a thick paste. If it is too thick or isn’t blending properly, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil until it has thinned out.
- Toss with cooked pasta, stir into Risotto, top garlic bread, or add a scoop to soup.
Recipe FAQs
It’s similar to regular pesto – It has a bright, lemony flavor with bursts of fresh herby flavor, very much like traditional basil pesto.
No need to cook – just wash and dry the leaves before adding them to the pesto sauce. Remove any hard or woody stems though.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerate, and use within 3 days.
More Recipes Featuring Fresh Herbs
- Lemon Balm Smoothie
- Fresh Parsley Pasta with Butter & Garlic
- Roasted Root Vegetables with Thyme & Rosemary
- Baked Goat Cheese Pasta with Tomatoes
- Mint Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
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Our cookbook One Ingredient, Five Ways has tasty no-waste plant-based recipes for everyone
Lemon Balm Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup lemon balm
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor add the lemon balm, basil, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chili pepper flakes if using.
- Pulse in quick bursts until the pesto becomes a thick paste. If it is too thick or isn’t blending properly, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil until it has thinned out.
- Toss with cooked pasta, stir into Risotto, or add a scoop to soup.
Notes
Nutrition
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