What to do with all this…spinach? This month our yogi-garden is bursting with spinach varieties and aside from adding spinach to every dish I cooked, I found another great way to make use of this super nutritious leaf with a pesto variation that is raw, gluten free, vegan, and completely delish!
Ingredients:
• ½ cup cashews
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olives (I used pitted kalamatas)
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 bunch spinach, washed well and roughly chopped
• sea salt & pepper to taste
Preparations:
1. Place the cashews and water in a blender and process until very creamy and smooth, adding more water as needed. Set aside about ½ C of the cashew cream as you may not need all of it.
2. To the blender add walnuts, garlic, olives, cilantro and basil pulse until well chopped.
3. Add the spinach a handful at a time until it is incorporated. If the sauce is very thick, you can add the remaining cashew cream until it has a slightly pourable consistency.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then toss with your favourite pasta, zoodles, roasted veggies, or use as a sandwich condiment.
Note: best eaten fresh, but you can store covered in the fridge for a day or two.
Optional: I’ve tried this without basil, and with some extra silverbeet (swiss chard) so this is a recipe you can get creative with.
Makes about 4 cups, enough for 4-6 servings.