Mustard Green-Lime Pesto (dairy-free, vegan)
If you've been shopping at your local Farmer's Market lately you might have noticed some beautiful purplish-green leafy vegetables for sale called mustard greens. My bet is that you've also wondered what you could do with them if you were to purchase them! Mustard greens are spicy and slightly bitter. I like to add them to soups and stir-fries. They are part of the lovely cruciferous vegetable family—the types of vegetables we highly recommend getting into your diet everyday in order to boost your body's own detoxification abilities. Read more about that in this post.
I grow mustard greens in my garden, and this summer I've had more than we can eat! I pondered for a week or so how I could preserve them, other than lacto-fermentation (as in a mustard green kim chi), and came up with this pesto recipe (which can be frozen). While I was figuring out how to preserve them, they began to bolt. This means that they send up flowers so the plant can bear seeds. When a plant bolts, the greens start to become bitter. I did not want to waste them so I used them anyway. I would suggest looking for tender young mustard greens to use in this raw pesto recipe, though it's still delicious if your greens have begun to bolt!
Mustard Green-Lime Pesto
This has also been called "wasabi pesto" because it gives a similar fiery feeling in the back of the throat and nose like wasabi does! Use it as a dip for sushi or sliced vegetables. I like to dollop it onto some sort of curry soup like red lentil dal, or creamy curried carrot soup. Spread it over baked wild salmon as it comes out of the oven….or just eat it by the spoonful to liven up your day!
- Place the cashews into a food processor fitted with the "s" blade and process until finely ground.
- Then add the garlic, salt, lime juice, and mustard greens; pulse and process until combined. You may need to stop the machine and push down the greens, and then process again.
- Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freeze in ice cube trays, and then place into a container in your freezer for longer storage.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 1,800 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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I have something growing in my garden this year that is new to me. It is called mustard spinach. I am still trying to figure out what to use it for. So far I have been eating it raw in salads but I was wondering if you thought this recipe might work for it. Are you familiar with this do you have any other ideas of how it could be used?
This sounds wonderful. I was wondering if it could be cultured, adding whey or cauldwells or more salt? I made something similar with mint and almonds, and keeps for a long time cultured. Meriah