If your herb garden is anything like mine right now, you’re enjoying an abundance of fresh herbs. In fact, you may be looking for some inspiration on what to do with them all! Herb dressings are a wonderful way to use up excess herbs from the garden and add such delicious flavour to an array of dishes. I’ve created two recipes which are fresh, tasty and bursting with good-for-you ingredients.
You can’t go past pesto; it’s a summer staple - but did you know that you don’t have to make it with just basil? For my Herby Pesto recipe below, I added a few other garden herbs to mix things up a bit. Next up, I’ve shared a gorgeous Salsa Verde recipe, which is so versatile and adds a wonderful tang to liven up a range of summer dishes.
Herby Pesto
This herb pesto is truly versatile and absolutely delicious. I love it mixed through fresh pasta, spread on a burger, sandwich or pizza, on a cheese platter, a salad dressing, or you can even add a dollop to your mashed potatoes, kumara or cauliflower or scrambled eggs.
VITUS Spirulina gives this pesto recipe a super-rich colour and a wholesome nutritional boost too. If you’ve got loads of herbs to use up, make it in bulk and freeze it in ice cube trays so you can enjoy it whenever you like.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 small handful fresh chives
- ¼ cup pistachios, shelled
- ¼ cup parmesan
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2-4 Tablespoons new hemisphere Garlic Flavoured Hemp Seed Oil
- 1 teaspoon VITUS Pure Premium Grown Spirulina Powder
Method:
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until desired texture is reached. (Amount of oil will determine the texture of the pesto. Add extra depending on your preference).
- Enjoy with crackers, as a dip with veggies sticks, with pasta... the options are endless.
Time: 5 minutes
Nutritional Information*
- Servings: 10
Amount per serving
- Calories: 61
- Total fat: 4g
- Total carbohydrate: 3g
- Dietary fibre: 1g
- Protein: 4g
Dietaries: Gluten Free | Vegetarian
Salsa Verde
Salty and tangy, this Salsa Verde has a way of bringing to life a range of dishes. It’s wonderful as an accompaniment to seafood, or served with grilled vegetables and roasted meat.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh mint
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 gherkin
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 Tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 Tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6-8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Method:
- Using a large sharp knife, on a chopping board mince the capers, gherkins and anchovies, set aside. Next finely chop all the fresh herbs.
- In a bowl or jar combine the mustard, vinegar and oil, add minced capers, gherkins and anchovies followed by the chopped herbs.
- Season with salt and ground pepper.
- Will last in the fridge for one week– warm to room temperature before enjoying.
Time: 10 Minutes
Nutritional Information*
- Servings: 10
Amount per serving
- Calories: 144
- Total fat: 13g
- Total carbohydrate: 6g
- Dietary fibre: 1g
- Protein: 3g
Dietaries: Dairy Free | Gluten Free
Keen to try another herb recipe? You might enjoy Chimichurri Mushrooms. It's great as a side dish or served with a fresh green salad. And, as with the recipes above, feel free to get creative and experiment with whatever herbs you have on hand from your garden.
*Nutritional information is based on approximate calculations by My Fitness Pal.