Broccoli is, with good reason, renowned as one of the healthiest foods, and I enjoy discovering ways to incorporate it into our everyday meals. Usually everyone at my home likes it, but from time to time we wish to try it in some new and creative ways. When transformed into a flavorful pesto like in this recipe, it receives a warm welcome, even from picky eaters ;).
Pesto made with whole ingredients and no oil
This beautiful green and creamy pesto is made with whole ingredients like broccoli florets, cashews, fresh parsley and basil and uses no oil. It is so easy to make, you will just need to steam broccoli shortly and then blend all the ingredients to get a smooth texture. Store it in a jar in a fridge to keep it on hand for a couple of days.
This pesto goes great as a bread spread or as a sauce over whole wheat pasta or spaghetti. You may probably also use it as a dip. 🙂
Nutritionist’s tip:
Broccoli is a wonderful source of “sulforaphane”, an exceptionally beneficial compound present in all cruciferous vegetables. Sulforaphane is a phytonutrient that has strong antioxidative properties. It may even help with prevention and treatment of some types of cancer. If you are interested in learning more, you can check out this page at NutritionFacts Website: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/sulforaphane/.
Cooking broccoli may deactivate the enzyme necessary for production of sulforaphane, but there are various options how we can facilitate the formation of these useful substances. We can add mustard seeds (since they contain this enzyme) to the cooked broccoli, as I do in this recipe. Second option is to chop fresh broccoli 40 minutes before cooking it, which gives the enzymes enough time to work, or (third option) to eat some raw cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, turnips, kohlrabi or horseradish along with the cooked broccoli, all of which belong to the cruciferous vegetables group same as broccoli and contain the same enzyme needed to make sulforaphane.
Oil-free Vegan Broccoli Pesto
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 200 g broccoli florets
- 100 g cashews or 50g cashews and 50g pine nuts
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 20g fresh basil
- 20g fresh parsley
- 50 ml water
- a pinch of mustard seeds optional
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli florets for a few minutes and add cashews towards the end. They will soften from the heat and be easier to blend.
- Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately or store in a jar in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
Tips and Info
This pesto goes great as a bread spread or as a sauce over whole wheat pasta or spaghetti. 🤓Info:
Interestingly, mustard seeds serve a dual purpose beyond enhancing taste. Enriched with enzymes, they actively contribute to the formation of “sulforaphane”, an exceptionally beneficial compound present in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.
