Easy & Earthy Dandelion Pesto

If you’ve ever walked past a patch of your backyard dandelions and thought, “hmm, could I actually eat those?” ~ the answer is a big, leafy YES. I discovered this pesto this spring when these wild foraged dandelion greens are everywhere, they make a peppery pesto. It’s a great way to use something wild and nourishing, and it’s surprisingly simple to put together. This pesto is made with with some olive oil, garlic, and nuts and I do add some fresh basil or spinach for mildness.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups dandelion greens (roughly chopped, tough stems removed)
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic (depending on how bold you’re feeling)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted walnuts (or almonds, or sunflower seeds — use what you’ve got!)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil
• A good squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon)
• Salt, to taste

Optional:

• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• A spoonful of miso paste
• 1 densely packed cup of washed fresh basil or spinach

Directions:

1. Prep the greens: Rinse your dandelion leaves well and pat them dry — they can be a bit gritty if fresh from the yard or market. Chop roughly.
2. Blend it up: In a food processor or blender, toss in the greens, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times to break everything down.
3. Add oil slowly: With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until everything blends into a creamy (but still a bit textured) paste. You can add more oil if you like it looser.
4. Season to taste: Add salt, maybe more lemon, and anything else you love — like that pinch of chili flakes or a bit of miso.
5. Done! Scoop it into a jar or tupperware and store in the fridge. It keeps for over a week, and freezes well too.

 Ideas for using it:

• Toss with pasta or gnocchi
• Spread on toast or sandwiches
• Swirl into a soup
• Dollop onto eggs or roasted veggies

Notes:
Dandelion greens can be bold, but they mellow beautifully with the cheese, nuts, and lemon. If it’s your first time trying them, I found it better to mix in a handful of fresh basil or spinach to balance the flavor. Cheers to you and your backyard foraging! Here’s to dandelions, once a foe, now a beloved friend!

Easy & Earthy Dandelion Pesto

If you’ve ever walked past a patch of your backyard dandelions and thought, “hmm, could I actually eat those?” ~ the answer is a big, leafy YES. I discovered this pesto this spring when these wild foraged dandelion greens are everywhere, they make a peppery pesto. It’s a great way to use something wild and nourishing, and it’s surprisingly simple to put together. This pesto is made with with some olive oil, garlic, and nuts and I do add some fresh basil or spinach for mildness.

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Ingredients

  

• 4 cups dandelion greens roughly chopped, tough stems removed
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic depending on how bold you're feeling
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or almonds, or sunflower seeds — use what you’ve got!
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil
• A good squeeze of lemon juice about 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Prep the greens: Rinse your dandelion leaves well and pat them dry — they can be a bit gritty if fresh from the yard or market. Chop roughly.
• Blend it up: In a food processor or blender, toss in the greens, garlic, toasted nuts, cheese, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times to break everything down.
• Add oil slowly: With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until everything blends into a creamy (but still a bit textured) paste. You can add more oil if you like it looser.
• Season to taste: Add salt, maybe more lemon, and anything else you love — like that pinch of chili flakes or a bit of miso.
• Done! Scoop it into a jar and store in the fridge. It keeps for about a week, and freezes well too.

Notes

Ideas for using it:

Toss with pasta or gnocchi

Spread on toast or sandwiches

Swirl into soups

Dollop onto eggs or roasted veggies

Notes:
Dandelion greens can be bold, but they mellow beautifully with the cheese, nuts, and lemon. If it’s your first time trying them, feel free to mix in a handful of fresh basil or spinach to balance the flavor.