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Cilantro Pesto

Easy Cilantro Pesto Recipe

How to make Cilantro Pesto and how to store it long-term.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 32 servings
Calories: 300
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cilantro bunches
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cups walnuts
  • 1/3 cups parmesan cheese grated
  • 1.5 cups olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Equipment

  • blender

Method
 

  1. Wash cilantro bunches thoroughly, pat dry, remove hard stems, and set aside.
  2. In a food processor, add the garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, walnuts, and a pinch of salt/pepper. Pulse until combined.
  3. In small portions, incorporate the cilantro and olive oil. Pulse until well combined.
  4. Pour pesto into a bowl and mix well with a spatula to ensure it is well combined and ENJOY!
  5. To store long-term, pour the pesto into silicone ice cube trays, freeze for at least 1 hour, and then store cubes in an airtight container.

Notes

  • The best ingredients make for the best foods. If possible, opt for organic cilantro and freshly grated parm.
  • Although you can certainly use the entire cilantro bunch, I’ve found that omitting the hard stems makes for a tastier pesto. You can freeze the stems for later use in soups and stews.
  • You can process this recipe in two parts if you have a smaller food processor.
  • Ingredient substitutions: You can substitute walnuts for pecans, pine nuts, or cashews. You can also omit or reduce the amount of garlic. If dairy-free, substitute the parm cheese for nutritional yeast, or you can omit it altogether.
  • Storage and long-term use: You can freeze this cilantro pesto in silicone cube trays for at least an hour. Then, transfer frozen cubes to an airtight container or zip-lock bag. It lasts for months in the freezer. To reconstitute, place 1 cube in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 15-17 seconds.
  • If using the silicone ice cube trays, one cilantro pesto ice cube is the perfect serving size for one toast.