Remember I mentioned I got an AeroGarden for Christmas? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would produce as much as it did. If you live in a muy frío place like I do and like fresh herbs in the winter, message me and I’ll tell you all about my hydroponic set-up. Most of the herbs were gobbled up as soon as the sprigs resembled their namesake. I’m talking whole fresh basil leaves wrapped around mozzarella and anemic, winter-grown cherry tomatoes (blerg–the fresh basil made them palatable) as a snack and a bunch of cilantro chopped and mixed in with avocado, feta, and lime juice for a perfect, simple guac.
Basil, cilantro, chives, and parsley are all incorporated in things I eat nearly every week as it is, so of course they didn’t last long. The Thai basil on the other hand turned into a small, unruly bush growing in the corner of my dining room and I had not a clue what to do with it.
Until this idea came to me: Thai basil pesto.
I ate it with rice noodles and sautéed veggies and I think it would be equally as spectacular mixed into rice. Like any pesto, it’s easy and it packs a pretty big herby, fresh flavor punch. The cashews and coconut oil lend a smooth, hinting sweet flavor and it’s balanced by the tartness of lime and the tang of fresh ginger.
If you don’t have a hydroponic garden, you should be able to find Thai basil in your local grocery store.
- ¼ cup cashews
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1½ to 2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ lime, juiced
- 4 cups Thai basil leaves
- Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, add cashews, garlic, and ginger Run for about 10-15 seconds. Turn off.
- Add Thai basil leaves, lime juice, and salt. Turn on the processor again. While it's running, slowly pour in the coconut oil through the feed tube at the top and process until the mixture is pureed to your liking. Season to taste.
- **Note: you may not need the full ⅓ cup coconut oil, depending upon the consistency you like your pesto. I like mine with a little texture to it, so I ended up using about ¼ cup of the oil.
Janeen Jordan says
YUMMY!!! Can’t wait to try it! I just made some Kale Pesto…no ginger, but lemon juice, olive oil and lots of fresh garlic…. put it over organic spinach fettuccini.. We ate it all week. Had Salmon Patties on the side.
Mary Catherine says
Kale pesto sounds delicious. And salmon on the side?! YUM! I’ll have to try that soon. Thanks for sharing!
Katrina says
Ha, my AeroGarden runneth over. I have Italian basil, purple basil and Thai basil. What to do? I googled Thai Basil Pesto and here I am. Perfect. Can’t wait to try it. And one of my sons is vegan, so this is great since it doesn’t have cheese like most pesto does.
Mary Catherine says
Thanks for stopping by, Katrina. I hope this recipe works well for you! I didn’t miss the cheese in this pesto. The cashews did a fine job adding a little creaminess and the lime juice, a little bite. Enjoy! And if there’s anything you don’t like about it, please let me know.
Walt Philipp says
How long can one store this Thai Basil in the refrigerator?
I have about 6 to 8 plants that are now mature and I want to utilize what I have and I need to harvest all of it real soon.
Mary Catherine says
When I made this, I refrigerated the pesto in a mason jar for about 10 days, and it was fine. It freezes beautifully, too, which I’d suggest doing for extending the shelf life. Hope that helps!
Sana says
Hey ! can i add this pesto to sauteed vegetables and coconut milk to make a curry kinda thing to go with rice?
Mary Catherine says
Sana, thanks for stopping by! Though I’ve never tried it, I think you could totally use this an aromatic addition to coconut milk. If you like heat, I’d add something spicy for balance (like a dried Thai chili or two or some curry powder–bloom it in some oil over medium heat for a minute or two before adding the coconut milk and pesto). If you try it, let me know how it tastes.