Mint Pesto

This mint pesto is somewhere between a sauce and a chutney, to be quite honest. Mr. Stone Soup and I love the mint sauces and chutneys we get at Indian and Afghani restaurants and I wanted to create a sort of a “fusion” pesto version. My goal when creating this recipe was to honor those condiments while incorporating some ingredients and flavors of California Cuisine, such as pine nuts and olive oil. If I do say so, I think I nailed it. This pesto is spicy and herbaceous like their cousins, but also light, bright and full of California sunshine! It made a great pairing with lamb chops and Seekh Kababs. It would be delicious on almost any grilled meat and it would be a great salad dressing, vegetable dip or dip for bread, too. It’s versatile and absolutely delicious!

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Mint Pesto

Author: keriawilliams

Ingredients

Servings

• ³⁄₄ cup mint leaves (leaves only)
• ³⁄₄ cup cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
• ¹⁄₂-1 Thai green chili (or more depending on your tolerance for chilis!)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts
• ¹⁄₄ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• ¹⁄₄ tsp sugar (I used sugar in the raw. This may seem optional, but it helps to balance the flavors)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (or a little more if you want a more piquant flavor)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt (I actually ended up using about 3/4 tsp, but start with 1/2 tsp and then check the flavor--add more if necessary)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• a couple of grinds of pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp water (more depending on the consistency you're going for)

Instructions

1. Pluck the mint leaves from their stems and wash thoroughly. Dry with paper towels and add to the bowl of a small food processor. Wash and lightly dry off the cilantro stems, along with the tender stems and add to the food processor bowl with the mint leaves. Pulse for several seconds until the leaves are ground down a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the water and lemon juice and process. Add lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of water and pulse. Check flavors and add salt, more lemon juice or more Thai chilis as needed. Pulse again, taste and adjust as necessary for flavors and consistency.

   

1. Enjoy with grilled meats, vegetables, pasta, on salads or as a dip for bread.

   

Note

This is an exceptionally versatile condiment and can be enjoyed with a wide variety of foods. If you're like me and you're not fond of the flavor of cilantro, fear not: you will hardly notice that it's in this bright, flavorful pesto. If you're bothered by it, reduce the amount of cilantro by 1/4 cup and substitute in 1/4 cup of flat-leaf parsley.