Spinach & Basil Pesto

After enjoying the last of our Parsnip & Apple soup, the beautiful bag of Taproot spinach was calling my name! Usually we use spinach in salads, smoothies, or on sandwiches, but Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market we stumbled upon some lovely basil. I thought pairing it with the spinach and a few other yummies would make a divine pesto!

This pesto is a bit un-traditional in that it uses miso instead of salt. Miso is a great source of beneficial enzymes. It also makes use of rice vinegar rather than lemon juice and nutritional yeast (an inactive yeast) rather than parmesan cheese. Nutritional Yeast is a great source of B Vitamins! Combined with the amazing Taproot spinach - this is the superhero of pesto's!

Spinach & Basil Pesto

5 oz. spinach
1.5 oz basil
3 oz. pinenuts
2-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
2 tsp. Light Miso ("light" refers to the colour and the bean/grain which the miso is made from)
1/3 Cup nutritional yeast

Start by toasting the pine nuts a little bit in a pan on the stove.

It really does make a difference in the flavour. They should be just a wee bit darker and you'll be able to smell the nutty-goodness.

Into your food processor, add the spinach (you may need to pulse it a few times to get the spinach volume to go down to make room for the other ingredients).

Then add the basil (again you may need to process a bit).

Then add the pine nuts, miso, rice vinegar, and nutritional yeast. Pulse a few times until everything looks more cohesive. Then, with the processor running, go ahead and add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. You may not need all 4 Tablespoons.

You will probably have to stop and scrape down the sides of the processor a few times. When it is a beautiful Spring green, and everything is combined, you're ready! We love it on pizza, it's also great with pasta, grains, and you can even combine a few Tablespoons with some soy yogurt (or dairy yogurt for those who eat dairy) and have a lovely dip for vegetables and crudites! Enjoy!