Broad Bean Pesto

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs, we're whipping up Starters & Nibbles with Nigel Slater.  I knew immediately what I was going to make.  I had bookmarked Nigel's recipe in Tender Vol. I for "A green hummus" weeks ago, and this seemed like the perfect time to run with it.

I took inspiration from Nigel's recipe, but made a few changes to make more of a pesto out of it.  I didn't have the mint called for in the original recipe, so used parsley instead.  I also added in a bit of garlic, some freshly grated parmesan, and some toasted sunflower seeds.

The resulting pesto was delightfully fresh and "springlike" - quite a joy in the middle of winter.  It makes a great snack or pass around with some raw vegetable sticks, corn chips, or spread on toasted, crusty sourdough bread.  It was also a delicious accompaniment to leftover roast chicken, and tomorrow night it will be turned into sauce for pasta.

This made a great alternative to my regular go-to hummus that I frequently turn to when I have friends around for nibbles, and this will definitely become a regular in my repertoire.

Broad Bean Pesto Recipe
Inspired by recipe by Nigel Slater
from Tender, Vol. I
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

500g (18 oz) frozen broad beans
(if you're lucky enough to have fresh broad beans, even better)
large handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil.  Add broad beans to the pot, return to boiling, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  (If you're using fresh broad beans, you will probably need to boil for a few more minutes.)  Drain, and refresh immediately in cold water.  Once beans are cooled, remove and discard the thick outer skins from the beans.

Place beans, parsley and garlic in food processor and blitz to a coarse paste.  Add parmesan and sunflower seeds, and blitz again.  Then with motor running, pour in extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream until you have a smooth paste consistency.

Remove from food processor, and stir in lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

If you would like to get to know Nigel Slater a little better, and to see what everyone else has cooked up this week, then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and check out the links ...

... or check out Tender, Vol. 1 and Nigel's many other great titles available from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, or Fishpond NZ.

I'll also be sharing this post this week at See Ya In the Gumbo hosted by the delightful Michelle at Ms. enPlace, at Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and at Foodie Fridays hosted by Designs by Gollum.