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This recipe first appeared in International Therapist magazine. It has been reprinted with permission.
In the spirit of BBQ and picnic season here in the Northern hemisphere, this pesto is a quick and easy accompaniment that’s perfect for entertaining and al fresco eating.
Broad Bean Pesto
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 40 g sliced almonds (1/2 cup)
- 900 g broad beans in pods (2lbs) ~300g/2 cups once podded
- 40 g vegan Italian-style hard cheese, grated (1/2 cup) or pecorino romano
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 25 g fresh dill, roughly chopped (~1 ounce)
- juice of half a lemon (1/3 cup)
- 80 ml cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper to taste
For serving
- 1 ciabatta, toasted
- 4 sliced radishes
- 2 Tbsp toasted almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175c/350f (fan).
- Spread the sliced almonds out on a baking tray and toast in the heated oven for ten minutes, stirring halfway through, then leave to cool.
- Remove the broad beans from their outer pods and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drop them in to a bowl of iced water.
- Once cooled, pop the bright green beans out of their skin by squeezing gently.
- Discard the skins, then place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a chunky paste.
- Spread onto toasted ciabatta and top with radishes and almonds.
Notes
Broad beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein, B vitamins including folate, and several minerals including manganese, magnesium, iron and potassium[1]. Being a member of the legume family, they are also high in dietary fibre – the unsung hero of a healthy diet.
Given that the average fibre intake in the UK is only 60% of the recommended 30g a day[2], increasing our intake of legumes, which are sadly underrepresented in the majority of diets, is one way we can close that nutritional gap.
Beans and lentils also count towards your five-a-day. As well as being nutritious and delicious, evidence shows that legumes can contribute to the prevention and management of a number of health conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity[3].
References
- USDA
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173753/nutrient - Fibre: Food Fact Sheet, BDA
https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/fibre.htm - Barber, Thomas M et al. “The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre.” Nutrients vol. 12,10 3209. 21 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12103209 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7589116/
