This recipe makes a lot of pesto: about 6 cups (enough for about 12 bowls of pasta).
Note that warrigal greens can be harvested most of the year.
Ingredients
660g Warrigal greens leaves (a lot) – about 3kg with stems
8 cloves of garlic
2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups (300g) grated parmesan cheese
Method
Cook the chickpeas after soaking until soft. Cooking time will be determined by how long they’ve been soaked. Longer soaking = shorter cooking times. Check for tenderness after 10 minutes of cooking. If they can be squashed easily with a fork, they are ready. Alternatively, use drained and rinsed canned chickpeas.
Remove warrigal green leaves from stems and wash well.
Place in a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Strain and place in food processor.
Add whole peeled garlic cloves to food processor along with juice of lemon, oil, salt and chickpeas.
Process until thick and fairly smooth (add more chickpeas if wanting it thicker or more oil of you want it thinner).
Stir in the parmesan cheese.
Taste to see: if it is too strong (if so, add more chickpeas); if it needs more taste (if so, add more lemon, salt or garlic); and if it is smooth enough (if not, add more oil or even process a little more).
This freezes well and is a good stand¬by to put on pasta, gnocchi, pizzas, focaccias, potatoes in their jackets, fish, poultry, meat, sandwiches, etc.
This is a nut-free version of pesto.
Author
Keryn Johnson
Thornbury
Do you mean soaked but uncooked chickpeas?
Hi Alice,
Yes, you need to cook the chickpeas after you have soaked them. (Sorry, I have now amended the recipe).You can speed up the whole process by using canned chickpeas and then they are ready to use after a drain and a quick rinse. I often use chickpeas as a nut substitute in other pesto recipes too.
Enjoy,
Keryn
OMG, I’d never considered making pesto from these greens. They grow wild in my garden and out the front if I let them, great to have another use for them. Much of the growth was ending up in the compost. Now I can use much more .. fantastic!!
I followed the recipe but did add a handful of fresh basil when blending.
Thank you so much.
Hi Gary,
Glad you’re excited by the Earrigal Green Pesto. Here’s a GREAT recipe for Warrigal Greens pizza so you never have to throw out your Warrigal Greens again: https://localfoodconnect.org.au/warrigal-greens-herb-and-cheese-pizza/ – just always make sure you give them a quick boil first though to get the oxalates, nitrates and saponins it contains out and then dispose of the water. I use Warrigal Greens in pastas, pies, rice dishes, etc,. Anywhere where you would use spinach. Here is a good website link about Warrigal Greens: https://www.milkwood.net/2014/05/21/foraging-warrigal-greens/
happy Warrigal Green cooking,
Keryn,