It’s finally wild garlic season and we’ll show you how to make vegan wild garlic pesto. Pesto with wild garlic is an Italian specialty. It is made according to the traditional Ligurian recipe, using the delicious wild garlic leaves instead of basil. The result is a delicious and aromatic cream. This version is without cheese and can also be enjoyed by people following a vegan diet. The delicate spring flavor of the wild garlic pesto is suitable for the simplest pasta dishes , gnocchi , grilled vegetables or with starters on bruschetta or croutons, simply delicious.
What is wild garlic or wild garlic spinach…?
Wild garlic is a plant related to chives, onions and garlic that grows in many European countries. It tastes similar to fresh garlic cloves but is less pungent and has a more subtle floral flavor. It is also known as forest garlic, witch’s onion, ramsen, forest gentleman, wild leek or wild onion.
Spring is the season for wild garlic. From the end of March to the end of May you can find wild garlic in stores or at the farmers’ markets. Wild garlic is very popular in Germany and can usually be found in shady places in the forest. It tastes really bold, so this is a real treat for garlic fans!
if you like our homemade vegan wild garlic pesto, you might also be interested in these dishes:
- Hasselback beets with coriander pesto
- vegan parsley pesto recipe
- Carrot greens pesto
- Potato salad with coriander pesto
- Casarecce al pesto with arugula and beans
This recipe makes a fairly generous batch, but you can make a large batch ahead and freeze if you make the effort. I specify 200g wild garlic leaves, which is about a basket full. When preparing the leaves, wash them well and drain like lettuce leaves or spin in a salad spinner. Then remove any long stems.
how to make vegan wild garlic pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 G fresh wild garlic
- 40 G pine nuts
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast* or Parmesan if NoVegan
- 1 tsp Sea-salt*
- juice of half a lemon
- 200 ml native olive oil* +/- 50ml
Instructions
- Wash wild garlic, spin dry and roughly chop.
- Roast the pine nuts in the pan without adding fat until golden. Set aside and let cool.
- Mix the wild garlic, pine nuts, salt, lemon juice, olive oil and yeast flakes in a food processor to a creamy, not too fine mass.
- If the pesto is too dry or thick, add a little more oil.
- Taste again, if you like add some freshly ground black pepper and you’re done.
Classic preparation in a mortar:
- Put the washed and roughly chopped wild garlic in a mortar with the sea salt and crush to a coarse paste.
- Now add the pine nuts or nuts of your choice and continue mashing.
- Then mix in the olive oil and mix until smooth.
- Stir in yeast flakes or finely grated Parmesan along with the lemon juice.
- Season to taste with sea salt and optionally freshly ground black pepper.
Nutrition
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