Lemon Balm Pesto light summer take on a traditional pesto.
Pasta with pesto is our favourite summer meal. While I do freeze and preserve quite a bit of it for the winter, it is never quite at it’s peak like it is during the summer.
We have so many fresh herbs in the garden this year it would be a shame to keep pesto as a strictly basil related recipe. Especially when my lemon balm has absolutely dominated my herb grow tower for the past month.
Lemon Balm as a Culinary Herb
Outside of medicinal use, I had not thought of using lemon balm for culinary purposes. Upon doing quite a bit of Googling, I found that it can be used for many different recipes.
It’s popular for garnishes, in soups, marinades and dressing.
Lemon balm has a very mild flavour that compliments a variety of dishes. One that caught my eye was lemon balm pesto.
Why You Should Try Lemon Balm Pesto
Most pestos are made with basil. In fact, you can find my basil pesto recipe here.
If you find basil to be too strong of a flavour, you might want to give lemon balm pesto a try. Unlike basil, lemon balm does not carry a strong punch to it, making this a very light take on pesto.
Plus it just tastes great!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
- Lemon Balm
- Oregano
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Parmesan
- Olive Oil
- Salt
How to Make Lemon Balm Pesto
This might just be the best part of pesto. It takes seconds to make!
To make pesto, simply place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Done!
You can serve pesto with pasta, as a spread for crackers and toast, or even use it as a meat marinade. There are many different options for using pesto. All you have to do is dream it up!
Lemon Balm Pesto
Try this light summer variatian on a classic pesto.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lemon balm
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve!
Notes
- You can use dried or fresh oregano for this recipe but the lemon balm must be fresh.
Our Summer Favourite Recipes
Pesto Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter
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