PEA PESTO
WHY IS PEA PESTO SO GOOD?
- It tastes great
- It's healthy
- It's cheap to make
- It's quick to make
- There's not chopping
- There's no fancy ingredients
- It's a glorious green
- It's vegan (or vegetarian depending on which cream cheese you use)
FROZEN PEAS
CASHEW NUTS
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEA PESTO
- Frozen peas
- Fresh basil
- Grated vegan (or vegetarian, depending on your diet) parmesan alternative
- Cashew nuts (I use salted)
- 1 tbsp vegan cream cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
HOW LONG WILL PEA PESTO KEEP?
CAN YOU FREEZE PEA PESTO
10 IDEAS FOR USING PEA PESTO
- PASTA - It's great on pasta and a good way of getting extra veg into kids and big kids. Call it Shrek pasta and it will go down a treat.
- PASTA SALAD - It's good on cold pasta too, with corn and cherry tomatoes.
- BRUSCHETTA - Toast some sourdough, bloomer's bread or baguette, rub it with a clove of garlic, then top with a spoonful of pea pesto and a few sprigs of cress or watercress.
- OATCAKES - Pea pesto is good on oatcakes or crackers for a light lunch or snack.
- DIP - Serve as a dip for crunchy veg.
- SOUP - Add a dollop to soup before serving for colour and flavour.
- MASHED POTATOES - Stir some pea pesto into mashed potato along with some cooked peas for a really tasty side dish.
- WRAPS - Spread on a wrap and top with salad and falafel.
- SALAD DRESSING - Add extra olive oil to make a tasty salad dressing.
- POTATO SALAD - Use pea pesto instead of mayo to make a green potato salad. For extra texture add cooked peas and finely sliced onion.
VEGAN RECIPES USING FROZEN PEAS
- Green Edamame & Pea Falafel
- Guacamole with Frozen Peas
- One-Pot Lentil Curry with Peas
- Quick Green Freezer Soup
- Spicy Tattie Puffs

Pea Pesto
Ingredients
- 225g/8oz frozen peas1 large handful fresh basil1 clove garlic2 tbsp grated vegan parmesan1 tbsp cashew nuts1 tbsp vegan cream cheese2 tbsp olive oilsalt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender (see notes for making by hand) and whizz until smooth.
- Taste to check the seasoning.
- Toss through freshly cooked pasta.
- Enjoy!
Notes:
If you don't have a food processor or blender you can pummel the nuts, peas and basil with a pestle and mortar, then in a bowl mix all the ingredients.
You can swap the cashew nuts for pine nuts, walnuts or peanuts, salted or un salted.
Once it's made, pea pesto can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you are storing it in the fridge, it's a good idea to drizzle over a little extra oil.
Pea pesto freezes really well. You can freeze it for 3-4 months and defrost it in the fridge overnight before you need it.
Calories
139.03Fat (grams)
9.74Sat. Fat (grams)
2.10Carbs (grams)
9.43Fiber (grams)
2.65Net carbs
6.78Sugar (grams)
2.61Protein (grams)
4.27Sodium (milligrams)
176.75Cholesterol (grams)
2.15
I love cashews and peas - great idea - would love to try this one sometime!
ReplyDeleteNow that really sounds interesting! Did the cashews make it too sweet? Do you think toasted almonds might go or pine nuts?
ReplyDeleteIt looks delicious and healthy!
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks really good... and easy too! Gonna give it a try sometime! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Johanna, I don't always like peas in dishes, but I decided to take the bull by the horns and realised it is only badly cooked dishes with peas that I don't like!
ReplyDeleteHi Winedeb, The cashews worked well and the pesto wasn't too sweet. I used some salted cashews I had in the house, instead of buying, unsalted nuts. Very unhealthy, but such a small quantity, I told yself it was ok!
Hi Patricia, It was very delicious!
Hi Veggie Cookster, I hope you do try it, such a simple sauce to make, but, bags of flavour!
Cruel maybe to the peas ;-) but definitely perfect for us!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights. Check back for the roundup soon.
Haha, strange but it actually does feel cruel to me... but then it also looks really good! I'm not a fan of peas but I may give this one a try.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty--and with those ingredients, it would taste delicious! I love cashews and think they make everything taste wonderful!
ReplyDeleteRuth, Thanks for adding me to the line-up. I look forward to reading the roundup every Friday!
ReplyDeleteHonest Maya, it is really sweet and tasty!
Hi Sher, Mmmm, cashews are tasty! And salted cashews are just sinful!
nice picture .. very soft to the eyes :) I like pea soup .. i think it's called Split Pea soup .. they used to serve at a restaurant close to my work place, long time ago.
ReplyDeleteNext to mushrooms, peas are one of my favorites. Nice, as always. Thanks Holler.
ReplyDeleteHi Nabeel, Nice to meet you, I like split pea soup too, but without the ham!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, although I enjoyed this dish, (I made it again tonight!), mushrooms are still my favourite!
Hi Jacqueline,
ReplyDeleteI have just made a version of your pea pesto. I do hope you approve.
I am off to see if you have blogged it Mangocheeks :)
ReplyDelete