Pesto is delicious and often paired with pasta. But there are many other tasty ideas. Drizzle pesto over oven-roasted vegetables, swirl in a soup, or spread over bread and layer with sandwich toppings. We’ve compiled this insanely delicious pesto and drizzled it over a salad, then topped it with a poached egg, halloumi, or tempeh. The secret to this great pesto is in the nutrient-rich kale stems.
Tip
Looking to go fully vegan in this recipe? Switch out Parmesan with nutritional yeast and serve pesto drizzled over pan-fried tempeh burgers.
Tomato, Eggs, and Beans with Creamy Kale Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped raw cashews or blanched almonds, soaked
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) chopped kale stems
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed fresh basil, blanched, strained, and blotted dry
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed parsley sprigs, blanched, strained, and blotted dry
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp (10 mL) blonde miso
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
- Generous pinch of crushed dried red pepper
- 14 oz (398 mL) can of cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 4 large curly lettuce leaves or curly endive
- 1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
- 4 poached organic eggs, pan-fried halloumi, or tempeh burgers
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories251
- protein14g
- fat13g
- saturated fat3g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates23g
- sugars3g
- fibre10g
- sodium318mg
Directions
01
In small bowl, place nuts and cover with 1 cup (250 mL) cold water. Set aside for at least 2 hours to soften. For optimal results, soak for up to 7 hours.
02
Drain well and place in high-speed blender along with remaining pesto ingredients. Pulse, scraping down inside of bowl, until coarsely pureu0301ed. Add water, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) at a time, and pulse until mixture is as smooth and creamy as you like. Add more seasonings to taste, if you wish.
03
Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Alternatively, pack into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to sealed container and freeze for up to 1 month. Makes about 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) pesto.
04
In medium-sized bowl, combine beans and tomatoes. Gently toss together.
05
To serve, line 4 serving plates with lettuce. Spoon bean and tomatoes on top. Place a couple of avocado slices on each and top with some pesto. Place poached egg on each and another dollop of pesto. Serve immediately.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Oat Sweet Potato Chili
If breakfast oatmeal is your jam, you’ll happily spoon up this oat-infused hearty chili. It comes together quickly enough to add to your weeknight dinner routine, but soaking the steel-cut oats ahead of time is key to having them cook more efficiently. Toppings run the gamut of avocado, sour cream, broken tortilla chips, cilantro, or grated cheddar. Hot stuff Chili powders can range greatly in their heat levels. So, it’s important to know the type you’re working with to gauge how much of a fiery kick it will add to a dish.
Purple Cabbage and Apple Soup
This vibrant soup is a soul-soothing hug in a bowl. Blue and purple fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that promote health and proper brain function. Apple swap Try swapping out the apples in this recipe for pears. Just like the apples, the subtle sweetness of pears helps balance out the earthiness of the cabbage.
Herb and Greens Frittata
Deep green fruits and vegetables are high on the list of health-promoting foods. Green foods have been shown to contain high amounts of antioxidants and nutrients that promote good cardiovascular health and can inhibit certain carcinogens. Serve this frittata alongside a leafy green salad for an unbeatable green culinary experience. Versatile leftovers Any leftover frittata makes a wonderful filling for a sandwich along with other thinly sliced vegetables you have on hand and a smear of hummus.
Caramelized Fennel and Yogurt Dip
This creamy dip will be your go-to for dunking vegetables or for spooning over roast chicken or root vegetables as a sauce. Compounds found in fennel have been shown to stimulate the production of T-cells in our body, which, in turn, may help improve our immune response to infections. If white is right If you would like to stay on the white theme, try serving this dip with an array of white vegetables such as endive leaves, jicama sticks, daikon rounds, steamed nugget potatoes, and cauliflower florets.