Cilantro pesto is an easy vegan recipe. It’s a green delight that packs a flavorful punch and is a plant-based twist on a classic pesto, bringing a fresh and delicious taste to your dishes. Cilantro pesto made with plant-based ingredients is versatile and can be used on pasta, sandwiches, as a taco topping, in dressings, and anywhere you’d like a bit of that yummy cilantro flavor. It’s great drizzled on Vegan Chorizo Tacos, added to Vegan White Chicken Chili, and even stirred into Mexican Street Corn Pasta!
What is Cilantro?
Cilantro is a fragrant herb with bright green leaves commonly used in cooking. It imparts a unique citrusy and slightly pungent flavor to dishes like salsas, curries, and salads. Loved by many, including me, it can taste like soap to some folks, thanks to a genetic predisposition.
How to Use Up a Lot of Cilantro?
Make the most of your abundant cilantro by trying these ideas:
- Fresh Salsas: Create various salsas with diced tomatoes, onions, lime juice, and lots of chopped cilantro.
- Herb Sauces: Blend cilantro with garlic, olive oil, and lime juice for a zesty herb sauce.
- Rice Bowls: Sprinkle cilantro over rice bowls for added freshness.
- Salads: Mix cilantro into green or grain salads.
- Curries: Add cilantro to Thai or Indian curries for flavor.
- Guacamole: Enhance guacamole with plenty of cilantro.
- Cilantro Pesto: Create a cilantro-based pesto with nuts, garlic, and olive oil.
What is in Cilantro Pesto?
Cilantro pesto is usually simple to make. This recipe uses fresh cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, toasted walnuts, garlic, and some nutritional yeast or plant-based parmesan.
Toast the Nuts
Traditional basil pesto uses delicious pine nuts. Instead of pine nuts, this recipe uses walnuts or almonds, which are also super yummy. I used walnuts and soaked them in hot water for about 5 minutes to rinse off some of their bitterness. Then, I toasted them lightly in the air fryer by placing them in the tray and air frying them at 350 degrees F for about 4 minutes. I think it gives them a sweeter taste.
Easy Pesto in the Blender or Food Processor
This pesto is so simple to whip up in the food processor or blender. Traditionally, pesto is made by grinding the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. And it can still be done that way. It’s not that difficult. My mortar and pestle are packed away while we’re still in this moving and home-building chaos, so I used the Vitamix. A food processor would work well, too. The easiest way to make this is to throw everything in at once and pulse it until it’s as smooth as you’d like it. However, the nuts will still have a bit of texture this way. If you’d like a smoother pesto, whir the nuts in the blender to get them started first, then add the remaining ingredients.
What Makes this Vegan?
Pestos usually contain parmesan and other cheeses. This recipe relies on nutritional yeast and plant-based parmesan for a cheesy, delicious flavor!
Health Benefits of Cilantro
Cilantro has a rich nutrient content. It’s a good source of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and K, and minerals like potassium and calcium. It can aid digestion, promote heart health, and possess anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, cilantro is believed to aid heavy metal detox due to its potential chelating properties.
Can Cilantro Stems Be Eaten?
Absolutely! You can eat cilantro stems! While they are a bit tougher than the leaves, they remain tender compared to most stems; however, cilantro stems offer a similar flavor to the leaves, though slightly milder. Including them reduces food waste and enhances any dish.
Why Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to Some People
Some people experience a soapy taste while consuming cilantro, thanks to a genetic variation in their olfactory receptors. However, the “tastes like soap!” people are more sensitive to the aldehyde compounds found in cilantro, which gives it a soapy or unpleasant taste, rather than the fresh and citrusy flavor perceived by others (like me!).
How to Freeze Cilantro Pesto to Use Later
To freeze cilantro pesto, follow these steps:
- Prepare the pesto as usual, blending cilantro, garlic, nuts, cheese (if using), olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the pesto to an airtight container or an ice cube tray for portioning.
- Seal the container tightly and label it with the date.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Easy Vegan Cilantro Pesto RECIPE
Cilantro Pesto Recipe {Plant-Based}
Whip up a delectable cilantro pesto, vegan-style! Bursting with fresh flavors, this easy to make green delight will take your dishes to a new level of deliciousness.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup walnuts or almonds, soaked and toasted
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, including stems (about 3 cups, roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or another mild tasting oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and with the green center removed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until it's a smooth paste. Add more oil for a thinner consistency.
- For a smoother texture, blend the dry nuts a bit before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a few days or freeze for up to a month.
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Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.
This is an awesome dish Lisa, love it! 🥰