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    Home » Recipes » Seasons » Summer

    Purslane Pesto

    Published: Jul 12, 2023 Modified: Jul 12, 2023 by Candice This post may contain affiliate links.

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Green pesto in a glass ramekin.
    Pesto pasta in a white pasta bowl and topped with parmesan.
    green pesto in a glass ramekin.

    This fresh purslane pesto is made with purslane, a leafy plant that's technically a weed, and something every forager feels lucky to come by. It is great in so many recipes, and due to its growing popularity, you can find it at some farmers markets and specialty grocery stores.

    You'll love the slightly tangy, even lemony flavor the purslane brings to this pesto. And it's ready in less than 15 minutes.

    Green pesto in a glass ramekin.
    Jump to:
    • 🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • 🧾 Ingredients In This Recipe
    • 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
    • 📋 Purslane FAQs
    • 🌿 Related Recipes
    • Purslane Pesto

    🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Quick and easy to make - This super quick fresh pesto only takes 15 minutes to put together.
    • Versatile - Pesto is a versatile thing to have on hand. You can use it as a pasta sauce, as a spread, as a dipping sauce... The list is endless. I love this version in my avocado pesto pasta and fig pesto pizza. It is also a delicious layer on avocado toast.
    • Easy to freeze and use later - Freeze it in small portions so that you can remove and defrost small amounts as and when needed. The easiest way to do this is to use an ice cube tray.
    • Unique taste and flavor - Purslane has a great taste similar to watercress and will make a pesto unlike anything else you've ever tried! For more traditional pesto than this purslane pesto, try this garlic basil pesto.
    • Uses a nutritious ingredient that would otherwise be discarded - While purslane is technically a weed, but gold to any forager. It is really nutritious and packed with vitamins. You can also try this easy sautéed purslane or purslane soup!

    🧾 Ingredients In This Recipe

    Purslane, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, and other labeled ingredients to make purslane pesto.
    • Purslane leaves - Some small stems in the mix are okay. The medium and large stems have a slimy texture so I don't recommend eating those.
    • Garlic - Use fresh cloves. You can substitute with minced if needed.
    • Pine nuts - Pinenuts are traditional in pesto but you could also use another type of nut like walnuts or pistachios.
    • Olive oil - Olive oil is the star of pesto so make sure it is high-quality. You can't really substitute this because the taste of the olive oil is crucial to the taste of the overall pesto.
    • Parmesan - You can use pre-grated Parmesan or grate it yourself. I like to grate myself because the cheese is usually better quality.
    • Salt & pepper - season to your preference.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

    Trimming a long stem of purslane over a food processor bowl filled with purslane leaves.
    • Start by trimming the purslane. The tops taste the best, so remove all the large and medium stems and keep the leaves, tops, and thin stems.
    • You can taste the different parts to assess which ones you want to keep.
    Pouring pin nuts from a metal measuring cup into a metal pan on a cooktop.
    • Next, toast pine nuts over medium heat. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don't burn.
    • Quarter or roughly chop the garlic. You need to do this with a knife - if you put it in the food processor whole it will not break down properly.
    Pouring olive oil into the top of a food processor with green pesto in the bowl.
    • Put the purslane, garlic, pine nuts, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in the food processor.
    • With the food processor on, slowly add the olive oil to the mixture.
    Pesto in the bowl of a food processor with a topping of grated parmesan.
    • Finely grate the parmesan into a medium-sized bowl. The parmesan is salty, so we won't add additional salt until the end.
    • Mix it into the pesto.

    Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    ✅ Pro Tip

    Freeze your pesto in ice cube trays. Pack each tray with pesto mixture, and freeze so you have little pesto cubes. Once frozen, remove the frozen cubes and store them in your freezer in an airtight container/bag. Defrost as needed.

    green pesto in a glass ramekin.

    📋 Purslane FAQs

    Is it safe to eat wild purslane?

    Wild purslane may be safe to eat, but take great care if you're foraging it yourself, as it's likely to have pesticides or other chemicals on it out in the wild. To be safe, purchase from the farmers market or supermarket, or grow it at home.

    Is purslane good for you to eat?

    Purslane is a great ingredient and safe to eat! It's very versatile and can be used much like you use spinach or watercress.

    What part of the purslane is edible?

    You could eat all of the purslane, but the tops including the leaves and thin stems taste the best. The medium and large stems don't taste as good, and since it's so abundantly grown and invasive, I don't recommend eating these.

    What are the best uses for purslane?

    Purslane is a great addition to salads, which is it's most common use. It can also be blended into different sauces like this pesto, use it as a garnish, or in any way you'd use watercress or spinach.

    Pesto pasta in a white pasta bowl and topped with parmesan.

    ✅ Pro Tip

    I got my purslane at a farmer's market and now I grow it in my garden. If you are growing in the garden, make sure to pinch off or pull it before flowering so it doesn’t spread too much, as it will take over the garden!

    🌿 Related Recipes

    If this purslane has made you hungry for a great salad, check out these scrumptious salad recipes that are sure to please and other purslane recipes.

    • Caesar salad wraps cut in half and placed together in a white dish.
      Easy Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
    • Plate of cucumber tomato salad.
      Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
    • Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Salad
    • Grapefruit Fennel Salad with Cactus Pear Vinaigrette

    I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

    green pesto in a glass ramekin.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Purslane Pesto

    This fresh purslane pesto uses a leafy plant that's technically a weed, but tastes great in this easy recipe. Ready in 15 minutes!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 413kcal
    Author: Candice

    Equipment

    • Food Processor or Blender

    Ingredients

    • 5 oz. purslane leaves stems removed, some small stems OK
    • 3 cloves garlic Rough chopped
    • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • ½ cup parmesan grated
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper to taste
    • salt to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • To trim the purslane, know that the tops taste the best, so remove all the large and medium stems and keep the leaves, tops, and thin stems. Taste the different parts to see which ones you want to keep.
    • Quarter or roughly chop the garlic (if you put it in the food processor whole they will not break down)
    • Toast pine nuts over medium heat. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don't burn.
    • Put the purslane, garlic, pine nuts, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in the food processor.
    • With the food processor on, slowly add the olive oil.
    • Finely grate the parmesan into a medium sized bowl. The parmesan is salty so we don't add salt until the end.
    • Add the contents of the food processor to the parmesan.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Notes

    You can toast the pine nuts on the stove in a fry pan or in the oven on a baking sheet. See blog post for detailed instructions.
    Pesto is perfectly good to freeze. If you’ve made a lot of pesto, it’s a good idea to freeze it in small portions so that you can remove and defrost small amounts as and when needed. The easiest way to do this is to use an ice cube tray. Pack each tray with some of the pesto mixture, and freeze so that you have little pesto cubes. Then. remove the frozen cubes and store in an airtight container/bag in your freezer, and defrost as needed.
    Nutrition facts calculated using spinach because purslane was not an option.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3426IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.
    « Sabzi Polo - Persian Herb Rice
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    1. Sally

      July 27, 2023 at 9:36 am

      5 stars
      We have so much of this ingredient growing in our front yard and we were running out of uses for it, this recipe is a life saver! Thank you so much for all the inspiration, we loved how this pesto tasted.

      Reply
      • Candice

        July 27, 2023 at 9:50 am

        I'm so glad you have new uses for it... this pesto is definitely one of my favorite purslane recipes. Happy to hear you loved it... thank you for taking the time to share!

        Reply

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    Meet Candice

    On this blog, I get to share the food that I love, and get to enjoy in my own home. My Persian Jewish heritage influences most of my recipes, and my travels inspire them. And I'm sure you'll notice my love for everything matcha. Welcome, and enjoy!

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