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–+ servings
pesto sauce with mint leaves in a bowl on a white table

Minto Pesto Sauce

Kristina Todini, RDN
Mint Pesto Sauce, a super simple pesto sauce recipe that uses mint leaves instead of basil. Ready in under 10 minutes and freezes well!
5 star (1 rating)
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Sauces, Dressings + Dips
Cuisine Italian-Inspired
Servings 8 servings
Calories 183 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups mint leaves
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts or other nuts or seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast if vegan
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Wash and prep mint leaves: Start by washing mint leaves under running water or submerging them in a bowl of water and shaking them to remove any dirt. Use a salad spinner to dry leaves or lay them flat on a plate or kitchen towel to dry.
  • Blend the greens, nuts, garlic, and oil: Toss the cleaned and dried mint leaves in a food processor. Next, add nuts or seeds and garlic cloves. Pulse until finely chopped, slowly drizzling in olive oil until the chopped ingredients are well coated in oil but still chunky.
  • Add seasonings to finish: Finish by adding in the cheese (or nutritional yeast), salt, and pepper. Give the pesto a taste and add more seasonings until it's flavored to your liking.

Notes

  • Nuts or seeds? Traditional pesto sauce uses pine nuts, but any nuts or seeds are perfect for pesto. We used pumpkin seeds in the photos of this recipe.
  • Tools needed: food processor or blender, knife set, cutting board, salad spinner
  • Prep ahead: Make this simple pesto up to 2-3 days before serving, or freeze until ready to use
  • Leftovers and storage: Leftover pesto should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and in the freezer for up to 2 months (possibly longer).
  • Nutrition notes: This recipe made as written (with parmesan cheese and pine nuts). Using other nuts, seeds, cheese, or nutritional yeast will change the nutrition information of this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 73mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 512IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg
Keyword mint pesto sauce
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