Vegan Beet Green Pesto

Vegan Beet Green Pesto

The PhD students in my office have been very lucky this year, and were given an allotment behind the building to share!  So we have a huge quantity of kale to eat, and loads of beetroot to thin out.



This recipe is perfect for using up the greens of beetroots - I have another pesto recipe for the root itself coming soon.  You could also use swiss chard for this, as they're the same species, although beet greens tend to be a bit sweeter.

I left about an inch (2cm) of the red stems on the leaves, to give the pasta its lovely red colour, but that's definitely optional.  Top this off with some nutritional yeast or vegan cheese, and you have a delicious meal in a hurry!

Vegan Beet Green Pesto

Total time: 10 minutes
Serves: makes enough pesto for 4 dinner portions of pasta

Ingredients:

1 packed cup (225g) beet greens with a bit of stalk

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pan, and fry the onion until it starts to caramelise (about 3 minutes), then add the garlic and beet greens and cook for another 3 - 5 minutes, until the greens are fully wilted.  Tip all the ingredients into a blender, or use a stick blender, and whizz until suitably tiny.  Stir through pasta and enjoy!