Cilantro is one of those love it or hate it foods. You rarely come across someone who does not have a passionate response – either positive or negative – toward cilantro. Perhaps it’s the soapy flavor that some people experience, or perhaps it’s just that cilantro has a strong odor that really sticks with you.
Personally, I love cilantro, and it’s a staple in my garden, from spring through fall. The past few years I’ve been working hard to successively sow cilantro so we have it through the entire salsa season. This year, volunteer plants have popped up all over the garden, making cilantro growing effortless at last.
I had to pull a few larger plants last weekend to make room for peppers, and decided to use them to make a batch of cilantro pesto. I jotted down notes as I made it so I could share it here, but keep in mind that pesto is a very forgiving food. Feel free to adjust any of these proportions to your liking. Add more garlic, use shallots instead, throw in a hot pepper, add a dash of cumin, etc.
Cilantro Pesto Recipe
(makes about 1 cup pesto)
4 cups cilantro
4 cloves of garlic (Learn the best tips for growing your own garlic in this post.)
1/2 – 1 tsp salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
How to Make Cilantro Pesto
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.
- You may need to scrape the sides down once or twice.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Use fresh, or store in an 4 or 8 oz mason jar and freeze.
How to Enjoy Cilantro Pesto
I like to add Cilantro Pesto to Mexican-inspired dishes like pinto beans and rice. You might also try it in an egg frittata, or as a topping on pizza! Or cook up some veggies and udon noodles and coat them with the cilantro pesto. Anywhere you might enjoy a basil pesto will work just as well for this versatile cilantro pesto recipe!
Cilantro Pesto Recipe
Spice up your meals with this delicious cilantro pesto recipe. Easily made with only a few ingredients, cilantro pesto will become your favorite topping!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cilantro
- 4 cloves of garlic (Learn the best tips for growing your own garlic in this post.)
- 1/2 – 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.
- You may need to scrape the sides down once or twice.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Use fresh, or store in an 8 oz mason jar and freeze
Notes
I like to add Cilantro Pesto to Mexican-inspired dishes like pinto beans and rice. You might also try it in an egg frittata, or as a topping on pizza! Or cook up some veggies and udon noodles and coat them with the cilantro pesto.
I failed miserably at growing cilantro this year! I just couldn’t get the seeds to start. But there’s always next year 🙂 Thanks for sharing – this recipe looks lovely, I hope I get to give it a go 🙂
I have often found cilantro difficult to grow. My best success is to just let it go to seed, and then self-sow. Now I have abundant cilantro in the fall and spring. It does not like the heat, so be sure to plant it early enough!
Mmmmm Yum! I love pesto so much! Already gettin in love with this variation of the original recipe 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you have enjoyed it!
LOVE cilantro! I have never made pesto with it but would certainly enjoy it.
It is so delicious! I hope you give it a try!
Yum! I am cilantro crazy right now. Maybe it is just craving fresh green and lighter with the weather warming up. Making this for some shrimp tacos.
Oh, that would be delicious!
Makes me wonder if one could make “pesto” from other greens; spinach pesto, chard pesto, wheat grass pesto? I have my pesto plants (basil all) potted so I can extend the picking into winter. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh, absolutely! The other day our neighbor Mike brought over some wood nettles and made nettle pesto to put on pizza. It was fabulous.