Coriander and cashew pesto

Coriander (cilantro) and cashew pesto makes a nice change from the usual basil and pine nut pesto.   Coriander pesto provides you with a lot of variety as it can be used to flavour soups (such as my carrot and coriander soup), as a dip, on bruschetta, in a stir fry, as a dressing for some beautiful roast vegetables, as a flavouring for meat, or on pasta.

Cashew and Coriander Pesto

Ingredients:

1 bunch of coriander (cilantro), washed, roots removed
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of cashew nuts, lightly roasted
1/2 cup of parmesan, grated
1/4 cup of olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked pepper

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a food processor, and blitz until well combined.

2. Whilst the food processor is still running, add the olive oil, a little at a time, until the pesto has your desired consistency.  Feel free to add more oil if you prefer a more loose pesto.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Variations 

You can vary the above recipe by adding any (or all) of the following:

• Chilli
• Lemon juide
• Lemon rind
• Lime juice
• Lime rind
• Ginger
• Substituting the cashew nuts with hazelnuts