Sunflower Seed Pesto

Who loves pesto but either has a nut allergy or cannot properly digest different nuts, such as cashews, pine nuts, or almonds? Almost all pesto recipes call for nuts, so we decided to create a unique raw vegan pesto recipe that uses sunflower seeds. They have a mild, nutty flavor and add a smooth and creamy texture to this pesto. We also added two tablespoons of hemp seeds for an added boost of healthy fats and proteins.

Although you can use a blender, it is better to use a food processor when making this pesto. It also works best to process all of the ingredients, except for the basil, until smooth and then add the basil at the very end. That will help keep basil from bruising as much. You can also drizzle in a little more olive oil while blending if the pesto is too thick for your liking. Just keep in mind that this pesto, unlike store bought pestos, will only stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. That means that you will want to eat it soon after making it. You can also freeze it, so consider making a double or triple batch so that you can enjoy some later.

For easy storage, put the pesto in silicone ice trays, freeze, and then pop out the pesto cubes to put in a freezer-safe plastic bag. You can defrost the ice cubes 24 hours before you want to enjoy it. The sunflower seed pesto works great as a dip for raw vegetables, or you can use it with raw zucchini noodles to make a filling raw entree.