Can you believe it’s the middle of August?! Where did the time go this summer? I have to admit, we (we = husband + me) did a round of Whole30 at the beginning of the summer. We were killing it. We made it the entire 30 days. No dairy, no preservatives, no cheese, no “bad” oils and no sweeteners. We had all of the organic foods, lots of vegetables and grass-fed meat. We even made our own raisins. Twice. Did I feel like I never wanted to food prep another thing at the end of it? Yes! Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY.
Now that we are done with the Whole30, I have such a greater appreciation for whole, real, preservative-free foods. Instead of making our cauliflower mash with cream and cheese, we use solid coconut milk and ghee. It’s flavorful, light and so filling. Also, it’s still low carb, and lets you have all of the good coconutty fats. I really wanted pesto the other day. Namely a pesto with parsley and almonds. It’s so stinking hot outside, and pesto reminds me of summer. Maybe from my childhood? Perhaps because you can make so many wonderfully light dishes with it? Many traditional pesto recipes have cheese, but this dairy free Parsley Almond Pesto is the bomb dot com. The lemon gives it a bright tang that you would normally get from Parmesan. Use it in place of a traditional basil pesto, serve it drizzled on some roasted chicken, or drizzled over some freshly sliced heirloom tomatoes.
The Pesto
The pesto is made from a whole lot of flat-leaf / Italian parsley, some almonds (I used Marcona almonds), a dash of Dijon, a little lemon juice, and a slow drizzle of extra light olive oil.
Make sure to use flat-leaf or Italian parsley for the pesto. In my opinion, curly parsley can sometimes taste slightly bitter.
The Dijon and lemon juice give the pesto a bright, wonderful flavor. Regular almonds or Marcona almonds will work equally well. **Don’t add too much salt when seasoning without taste testing if you’re using salted almonds**
Extra Light olive oil is my favorite choice for this pesto. It’s light flavor doesn’t overpower the rest of the flavor palette.
Parsley Almond Pesto: The Execution
Start by adding your parsley leaves to a food processor. Next, dump in the almonds, lemon juice and Dijon. Put the lid on and give it a few quick pulses to roughly chop the ingredients.
Drizzle in half of the allotted olive oil. Blend until well blended and combined. Check the pesto for consistency. It should be granular, but not chunky. There should be enough olive oil to give it a wet look, but without being soupy. If you need more olive oil, slowly drizzle it in until the desired consistency is reached. Check the pesto for flavor, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Use this wonderful Whole30 Parsley Almond Pesto on roasted chicken, with freshly cooked pasta or veggie noodles, or drizzled on fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes (to keep those summer vibes going). Store the pesto in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week. I like to freeze my pesto in ice cubes if I am not going to use it right away.
What’s your favorite pesto? Traditional basil? Something with sun-dried tomatoes? Share with us below!
Whole30 Parsley Almond Pesto
This Whole30 Parlsey Almond Pesto is fabulous, light, and perfect for summer. The best part? It's keto, dairy-free, paleo and bursting with flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 bunches flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup Marcona almonds Regular almonds will work
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup extra light olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Cut leaves off parsley stems.
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Add parsley leaves, almonds, Dijon and lemon juice to a food processor. I use a mini food processor. Pulse a couple times until coarsely combined.
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Next, add half the olive oil. Blend until granular and well combined (but not chunky - make sure those almonds get blended). Check the pesto for consistency. You want it to be thick and wet, but not soupy. Add olive oil a little at a time until the proper consistency is reached.
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Season with salt and pepper. I prefer to wait until the end for this step, especially if you are using salted almonds.
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Serve with chicken, pasta, zoodles or your favorite veggies. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze in ice cube trays and cover with foil if you are not planning to use the pesto for a while.
Nutrition Facts: Calories: 150; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 2 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar 0 g; NET CARBS: 1 g; Protein: 1 g
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