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Springtime Pea Sunflower Mint Pesto (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan)

April 12, 2016 By Jessica

I don’t think I have ever fallen in love with pesto, until now. What started out as a throw-a-few-ingredients-together kind of recipe turned out to be love at first taste. And just look at that color.  #springtimehappiness 

springtime-pea-pesto-gluten-free-vegan-from-jessicas-kitchen

I originally made it as an add to penne pasta for a quick weeknight dinner (a big hit and a must try!) but it wasn’t enough. We were all so struck by this new mash-up of a pesto that I made another batch that night to shmear on toast – instead of the usual avocado – the next morning and then, all week long. 

Aside from being a satisfying dinner, I love that it’s quick enough for school day breakfasts (aka crazy school morning rush) too. I normally wouldn’t suggest shmearing ‘pesto’ on toast, but you guys, this is not your typical pesto – the peas and mint lighten things up; the garlic (do not be afraid!) flavors the pesto without imparting the pungency garlic is known for. It works. Trust me on this.

springtime-pea-pesto-gluten-free-dairy-free-vegan-from-jessicas-kitchen springtime-pea-pesto-gluten-free-vegan-from-jessicas-kitchen

…gosh, this stuff makes everything GOOD.

springtime-pea-pesto-gluten-free-vegan-dairy-free-from-jessicas-kitchen

In case you were wondering about the very dark toast pictured, that’s mine (aka Mom’s ridiculously burnt toast) full of a whole lot of crispy crunch love just the way I like it. Since nobody else here in the house was patient enough for me to take a few photos of their normal toasted bread you got stuck with mine. It’s versatile enough to make for breakfast, lunch or dinner and I think my avocado is a little jealous.

Here’s the best part: no shelling peas (!).

Although it’s the season for fresh peas, trimming and shelling pounds of peas is, quite honestly, time-consuming and something I don’t want to do when feeding a family of six, so I do the next best thing – use frozen. No work and frozen at peak the time of harvest without chemicals? Heck yeah. I will keep our fresh peas for school (and non-school) snacking.

pea-pesto-from-jessicas-kitchen

springtime-pea-pesto-gluten-free-vegan-from-jessicas-kitchen

On a health note: this pesto mash contains a good dose of nutrition, including anti-oxidants (one being a polyphenol called coumestrol, in peas, that have been found to help prevent stomach cancer), protein (peas have protein!), Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, good fats, fiber, essential fatty acids (specifically linoleic acid from sunflower seeds) and helps to reduce bad cholesterol.

Add a little sprinkling of ground chia (added omega 3’s) and Maldon sea salt on top to amp up the flavor even more. Either way, it’s springtime deliciousness you need to try!

Springtime Pea Pesto - gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, vegan
 
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A springtime pesto full of bright flavors that are versatile and nutritious enough to go from breakfast to dinner and ready in 5 minutes!
Jessica: From Jessica's Kitchen
Recipe type: Condiment
Serves: 1½ cups
Ingredients
  • 1 heaping cup frozen peas
  • ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 big handful fresh mint leaves
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic (less if pungent)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (if using sea salt, use less)
Preparation
  1. Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until nearly smooth (or until smooth if you don’t like too much texture from the peas and sunflower seeds). Will stay fresh refrigerated for a week and freezes well.
  2. Some other suggestions:
  3. Add to rice, or serve as a dip with raw seasonal vegetables. Also delicious in egg omelets (my husband's favorite), or tossed with roasted asparagus and green beans. For toast: try broccoli sprouts, fresh slices of radish, or cucumber - anything goes really.
3.5.3208

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gluten free dairy free recipes
recipe image
Recipes
Springtime pea sunflower seed mint pesto
Published On
2016-04-12
Preparation Time
5 min
Cook Time
0 min
Total Time
5 min
Average Rating
51star1star1star1star1star Based on 3 Review(s)

Filed Under: breakfast, paleo Tagged With: breakfast, dairy-free, gluten-free, light and easy recipes, paleo, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan

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Comments

  1. Amy says

    April 12, 2016 at 8:32 am

    A nice creative change up for breakfast but when I read it has garlic my immediate reaction was yuck. Does it really not have any garlic flavor? I really don't like garlic especially for breakfast.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 12, 2016 at 9:13 am

      Understandable, garlic is not for breakfast! I add it in for additional flavor and because raw garlic kills bacteria (a good defender from gut bugs).The amount here will not give garlic breath or impart any strong garlic flavor but being that you don't like garlic you may taste it, so I would leave without if you do try it. :)
      Reply
  2. Cyndi says

    April 12, 2016 at 9:26 am

    Pesto with mint on toast sounds interesting and something I need to try. I'm with you on using frozen peas saving time, thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  3. Rich says

    April 12, 2016 at 10:14 am

    Yummy! Looks great!
    Reply
  4. Lyle says

    April 12, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    Nice idea for a light spring pasta
    Reply
  5. Dana says

    April 12, 2016 at 3:58 pm

    This looks so good and healthy. What kind of pasta do you use? It looks like the real gluten thing. YUM.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 13, 2016 at 5:09 pm

      It is yum! It's quinoa penne pasta by Andean Dream brand. I love it because it doesn't mush up like some other gf brands and doesn't taste like 'gluten free'.
      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    April 12, 2016 at 8:11 pm

    Hey Jess, looks geeat but also super bright green! Would mine turn out as bright? Please let me know!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 13, 2016 at 5:07 pm

      It is bright green, like in the photo - not photoshopped! Hope you give it a try, it's really good!
      Reply
  7. Beth says

    April 15, 2016 at 10:09 am

    Made this today and looooove it! It doesn't taste like any pesto I've ever had, much lighter and creamy. I see why you recommended it for breakfast, it has a texture like avocado mash. Thanks for sharing this creative recipe!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      April 15, 2016 at 4:31 pm

      Yay! You are so welcome, happy to hear you love it!
      Reply
  8. Lisa says

    May 21, 2016 at 1:35 pm

    The combination was a little strange to me at first but it looked so good I made it and wow it is delicious. So yummy on toast, thanks!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      May 25, 2016 at 3:02 pm

      Haha I know what you mean! Happy you gave it a try!! :)
      Reply
  9. Erin says

    July 10, 2016 at 10:29 am

    I love anything with peas so when I came across your recipe on Instagram I had to try it. OMG what a delicious mix of flavors. My new favorite spread on my (also) very well done toast lol!
    Reply
  10. Andrea says

    April 13, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    I just finished the pesto sauce with pasta and I can’t believe it’s gluten-free and dairy free. It is so flavorful! I thought I’d never be able to have pesto again. Thank you Jessica for sharing your recipes.
    Reply
  11. Layla Field says

    December 11, 2019 at 3:00 am

    I enjoy how the writer organized his thoughts in addition to the visual part.
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

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