What makes this pesto a “detox” pesto? 

We will be using not just basil but other herbs; watercress, cilantro and or parsley. I would consider this pesto to be cleanse or detox friendly as well. In the past I have discussed the health benefits of watercress, basil, parsley & cilantro, their heavy metal pulling benefits and just how powerful they can be. I’ve also focused on why cucumbers are cleansing, my noodle of choice 😉

Herbs like basil, watercress, cilantro and parsley all have very different tastes and can be extremely difficult to include all of them into one recipe. Typically my clients either love parsley and hate cilantro, or love cilantro and hate parsley. For once if one of these does not taste good to you please don’t eat it! That’s right, don’t do it! Cilantro tastes like soap to those who are allergic, and most people do not happen to know if they are allergic or not. With herbs it’s okay if you don’t like all of them, they all have such similar benefits that it’s not worth stressing about.

But if you happen to have a Type A personality and just gotta catch um all this recipe will please you. If you happen to not like cilantro please use parsley instead or just completely omit the herb you do not like.

Spinach just so happens to be at times considered an herb also and out of everything used this is the ingredient with the largest quantity.  If you would like to learn more about medicinal herb dishes please check out this previous post.

Now that all that jibber jabber is taken care of let’s start creating!

❤

Green Detox Pesto (Nut Free)

Serves One

I mixed the pesto with one spiralized cucumber 🙂 you can use zucchini or your preferred veggie noodle

1 cup baby spinach

2 tablespoons cilantro

1 ounce fresh basil

1 teaspoon watercress

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon hemp oil

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon flax oil

Juice from one lemon

1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Lemon zest from half a lemon

1 garlic clove minced

Dash of salt

Dash of cayenne and cumin

Blend until smooth and even. Pour and gently mix over your preferred noodles or use as a salad dressing!

Variations

If you do not like using oils in your foods, please consider using half or whole of an avocado instead. This can add a great nutty yet smooth texture and feel to the dish. Since this is a nut free pesto the avocado does provide that fatty nut feeling that we may miss at times. Especially during the chilly seasons or while detoxing.

Sometimes when I make this pesto I like to add fresh ginger or turmeric to give it an extra kick. I freshly grate may be 1/4 teaspoon of each, it depends just how spicy I feel like having my meal.

Some other fun add ins; Spirulina (1 tablespoon), a teaspoon of your favorite seaweed, or a teaspoon of Moringa Oleifera powder.

❤

I have more recipes I want to share but this post is already looking too long and dense. I hope to share some more tasty creations with you all very soon! Wishing you all a magical week. Thank you all truly for taking the time to stop by my website. Much love ❤ and raw power 😉

Jess