Vegan pesto rice
This delicious pesto rice makes for an easy, vegan & gluten-free side dish. It also works well as a base for bowls with your favorite toppings like roasted chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and grilled artichoke hearts.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 196kcal
Ingredients
- 2.5 ounces fresh basil about 2 cups, thick stems removed
- 2 big handfuls cilantro about 1 cup, thick stems removed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons pine nuts toasted, if you prefer
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt plus more if needed
- 2 cups brown rice cooked & warm
Instructions
- Put the fresh basil, cilantro, garlic, white miso paste, lemon juice, pine nuts, nutritional yeast flakes, extra virgin olive oil, and pinch of salt into a food processor. Process until evenly combined and broken down, stopping once to scrape down the sides.
- Spoon the pesto onto cooked, warm brown rice in a bowl. Stir the rice & pesto until it's evenly combined and equally coated on all of the grains. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
- Serve on its own as a side or use it as a base for pesto rice bowls with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Trader Joe's sells 2.5 ounce containers of fresh basil, which is exactly what you need for this recipe. So that is really handy if you want to get it all in one go.
I also like to use Trader Joe's frozen brown rice as a shortcut, and then just heat it in the microwave before mixing with the pesto. But feel free to use homemade brown rice if you prefer.
Toasting pine nuts brings out their natural nuttiness. If you'd like to toast them for the pesto, simply add the pine nuts to a dry (not oiled) skillet. Cook on a medium-low heat until golden brown. Be careful to stir often, as they're prone to burning. Once they are nutty brown, remove them from the skillet, and add to the food processor to blend with the other pesto ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1.6mg
