Vegan Broccoli Pesto

I really enjoy and love the freshness of traditional pesto recipes that have lots of basil for the base. However, my problem usually is that I never have enough fresh basil in the house to accommodate those recipes. This I why I love this alternative using broccoli. Not only do you get your cruciferous veggie for the day (and a double whammy if you also use the arugula) but you don't need to worry about stocking up on fresh basil (of course you are welcome to use it instead of or in addition to the arugula).

The original recipe can be found here; I changed it up a little by roasting the garlic and broccoli to give it a deeper flavor. You can of course steam the broccoli, but I would recommend roasting the garlic. This is great of course on pasta, but I have used it in quinoa, brown rice, or as a baked potato topping. 

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Broccoli Pesto Recipe
vegan, plant-based, refined sugar-free

Ingredients:

• Two small heads of broccoli
• 3/4 cup raw almonds (cashews or walnuts will also work)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2  cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 cup arugula (basil or mints leaves can be substituted)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 Tbsp flax oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F .
2. Roast broccoli and garlic cloves in the oven.  Roast the garlic cloves whole for about 15 min. You can toss the broccoli in some olive oil and roast for 20-30 min.
3. Place almonds, lemon juice, roasted garlic and nutritional yeast in a food processor and process until a coarse meal forms.
4. Add in the roasted broccoli , arugula, red pepper flakes if using, and salt and process until well mixed.
5. Drizzle in the olive oil while to achieve a smooth consistency. 
6. Enjoy with pasta, potatoes, or quinoa.