Making your own pesto with pine nuts can become an expensive project, so instead I usually make pesto with sunflower seeds and arugula – nutritious, simple, and free from dairy. Arugula is high in several vital nutrients, and sunflower seeds offer cardioprotective benefits due to their rich content of cholesterol-lowering plant sterols.
Yield: Approx. 1 cup
Ingredients:
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 bunch of basil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- a pinch of salt
Directions: Blend sunflower seeds, garlic, arugula, basil, olive oil, agave syrup, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor until you achieve the desired consistency. You can choose how finely you want it to be blended. Add more olive oil if you prefer a more oily, runny pesto.
