Healthy Pesto

Protein & Fiber Packed Pesto

If you love pesto, but hate burning 500+ calories on olive oil alone, ya gotta try this recipe. Normally pinenuts would provide the richness/creaminess in a pesto recipe, but to cut down on fat, we're using edamame. The basil, lemon and garlic provide the pop and freshness of a normal recipe, so the taste is pretty close to the real thing.

A huge shoutout to my cousin Evan for the recipe, which I made minor tweaks to. But he did all the heavy lifting.

Ingredients

• 450g shelled edamame
• 50g kale (stems removed)
• 50g fresh basil
• 5 cloves garlic (≈15g)
• 10g tahini
• Zest + juice of 2 lemons (≈80g total)
• 45g olive oil
• 20g fresh grated parmesan
• 50g water
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Load the blender: Add edamame, kale, basil, garlic, tahini, lemon zest + juice, parmesan, and olive oil.
2. Start blending: Add the 50g water to help everything move.
3. Blend until smooth: Stop and scrape down the sides as needed until fully creamy and emulsified.
4. Adjust: Taste and add salt as needed. You can also tweak lemon or garlic depending on preference.
5. Use or store:
• For pasta, loosen with a splash of hot pasta water
• For dip/spread,  keep it thick as is

Nutrition

Full Batch (about 775g)

• Calories: 900–950 
• Protein: ~55–60g
• Carbs: ~55–65g
• Fat: ~50–55g
• Fiber: ~30–35g

Per 150g Serving

• Calories: 185
• Protein: 12g
• Carbs: 13g
• Fat: 10g
• Fiber: 8g