Watercress Pesto

With watercress in season at the moment, and having some left over after I made my delicious Watercress & Pea soup, I decided to try it in a pesto recipe. I’ve previously made Rocket (Arugula) Pesto and I love the fiery kick it has so I though that Watercress Pesto would be similar. Pesto takes minutes to whizz up in a food processor and is a great way of prolonging the life of any leftover herbs or salad leaves that you have lying around. I’m not a fan of throwing anything away so when a recipe results in leftover basil or any other herbs, I just turn them into a pesto.

It really is a case of just throwing the ingredients into a food processor. The only cooking part is toasting your pine nuts if you haven’t bought pre-toasted ones. Cook these in a frying pan on a low heat until they start to brown, (watch them carefully so that they don’t burn). Put them to one side to cool down and prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Start by grating the Parmesan cheese (I’ve tried to skip this step but my food processor isn’t good enough to break down the chunks of cheese enough and the pesto doesn’t come out as smooth as I’d like it so I grate it now!) Next, you need to peel the garlic clove and then chop or crush it. I find the food processor does most of this for me later on so there’s no need to be too diligent. Next, wash the watercress and tear the leaves from the stems. The stems in watercress can be quite woody so it’s best to just use the leaves. You can save the stalks to add to a salad for another time.

Finally, add the watercress, along with the cheese, pine nuts and garlic to the food processor. Season well with plenty of salt and black pepper. Turn on the food processor and then drizzle in the olive oil until you reach the required consistency.

The peppery flavour of the watercress really comes through and gives the pesto a definite kick! Pair it with pasta, meat, fish, veggies or even use it as a salad dressing, it’s so versatile! And the best thing is that it takes minutes to whip up in a food processor. I like it smeared over salmon steaks before cooking them or stirred through courgetti spaghetti. It’s also great as a garnish for my Watercress & Pea soup or my Roasted Butternut Squash soup. A spoonful stirred through really adds so much flavour.

This Watercress Pesto will last in the fridge for 2-3 days or longer if you add an extra layer of olive oil on the top of the pesto. This keeps any air out and prevents it from spoiling. So give it a go, a great way to use up all your leftover herbs. And if you’re looking for more inspiration, check out my Rocket Pesto or Wild Garlic Cashew Nut Pesto for some other ideas.