Tired of the same old basil pesto? Or perhaps you’re fresh out of basil and looking to shake things up a bit? This recipe offers a delicious and unique twist on traditional pesto, utilizing Swiss chard leaves to create a vibrant and flavorful condiment. Perfect for dipping crusty bread, drizzling over pizza, or tossing with your favorite pasta, this Swiss chard pesto, with its bright hint of lemon zest, adds a burst of freshness that you’ll enjoy adding to all of your favorite dishes.
One of the best things about living in a small, quaint little town like Herndon, VA, is that we often receive out-of-the-blue texts from friends and neighbors practically begging us to take something or other off their hands. In our case, almost fifty percent of the time, those items just so happen to be Halloween decorations. And the other fifty percent of the time, those items tend to either be an abundance of homegrown backyard garden produce or food ingredients that were either over-ordered or found to be utterly disgusting by the person who ordered them to begin with. In the case of the Halloween decorations, B.O.B. Bob and I pretty much always text back, “Hell yeah, for sure, bring ’em on over.” In the case of the homegrown backyard produce or random unwanted food items, we’re a little bit pickier.
Last week, a neighbor asked if I would be willing to take some homegrown Swiss chard off their hands. I immediately answered with a big ol’ no because it was a holiday weekend and we wouldn’t be around to use it. A week later, still practically buried in Swiss chard, this neighbor sent out a mass text asking if anyone would be willing to help her out. This time around, I decided that I could possibly be her savior and help her finally say farewell to at least a little bit of those leafy greens. So, what do you make when you find yourself with a bag full of Swiss chard? Well, in my case, you make a batch of homemade pesto. And hello, let me just tell y’all now, this simple little pesto did not fail to impress. Now, I actually find myself hoping, praying, wishing that I’m at the very tippy top of this neighbor’s list of people to text each year with a Swiss chard emergency call for help.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Roughly Chopped Swiss Chard Leaves, Loosely Packed
- 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Zest of 1 Large Lemon
- 1/2 Cup Roasted Salted Pepitas
- 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
- Place the chard, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon zest into a food processor.
- Pulse the mixture until it begins to stick to the sides of the food processor. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the pepitas and pulse the mixture until the pepitas are finely blended into the mixture. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- With the food processor running, very slowly pour the olive oil into the food processor.
- Pour the pesto into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
Suggestions:
- You will not need the chard stems for this recipe. Either discard them or save them for another recipe.
- Roughly chopping the chard leaves before processing them helps them to combine with the other ingredients more easily.
- If you don’t have Swiss chard, you can replace it with fresh basil leaves.
- Freshly grated cheese is always more flavorful than pre-grated store-bought cheese. Please don’t skimp on this ingredient.
- B.O.B. Bob is allergic to all tree nuts, so in my recipes, I often replace them with roasted salted pepitas. In this recipe, you can easily replace the roasted salted pepitas with pine nuts or walnuts. Make sure to toast the nuts first for extra flavor. Place the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing them frequently for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are fragrant. Be careful not to over-toast the nuts and to remove them from the skillet as soon as they are done to prevent them from burning.
- Not all olive oil is the same. With a recipe like this one, using a high-quality olive oil really makes a big difference.
- Pesto is always best when used fresh, however, you can easily refrigerate it for later use. Store the mixture in a glass or ceramic bowl. Make sure to cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
- This recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of pesto.
Improvements:
- Use this pesto to dip bread in, to drizzle over pizza, or as an add-in to your favorite pasta dish, potato salad, or fresh vegetable salad.
- Add a teaspoon of this Homemade Italian Herb Seasoning Mix (No-Salt) to this pesto.
- Replace the garlic powder in this recipe with finely minced garlic. Measure with your heart.
- Add a 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the pesto mixture.
- Use spinach or kale leaves instead of chard leaves.
- Add fresh lemon juice to the pesto before adding the olive oil for a stronger lemon flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Roughly Chopped Swiss Chard Leaves, Loosely Packed
- 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Zest of 1 Large Lemon
- 1/2 Cup Roasted Salted Pepitas
- 1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
- Place the chard, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon zest into a food processor.
- Pulse the mixture until it begins to stick to the sides of the food processor. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the pepitas and pulse the mixture until the pepitas are finely blended into the mixture. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- With the food processor running, very slowly pour the olive oil into the food processor.
- Pour the pesto into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
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Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto Potato Salad
This Swiss Chard Pesto with Lemon Zest recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of pesto. Use 1/2 cup of this pesto to make this Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto Potato Salad. Traditional mayonnaise-based potato salads can sometimes feel a bit heavy, especially when the weather is scorching. This recipe is not only designed to withstand warmer weather, but it also boasts a delicious and unexpected twist. A bright, lemony Swiss chard pesto. With a touch of honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a little kick from crushed red pepper flakes, this potato salad is the perfect side dish for just about any meal. Best of all, this is a small-batch recipe, ensuring you enjoy a fresh, satisfying side dish without the commitment of leftovers for days to come. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
Chickpea Salad with Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto
This Swiss Chard Pesto with Lemon Zest recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of pesto. Use 1/2 cup of this pesto to make this Chickpea Salad with Lemony Swiss Chard Pesto. If you’re looking for a vibrant and flavorful side dish that is both easy to prepare and delicious, try this chickpea, red onion, and dried cherry salad. It’s tossed in a bright, lemony pesto made with Swiss chard, salty parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and crunchy roasted pepitas. The best part? This recipe is incredibly versatile. You can easily swap out ingredients based on your preferences or what you have on hand. For example, you can use basil or spinach instead of Swiss chard, replace the pepitas with toasted pine nuts or walnuts, or substitute your favorite dried fruit for the cherries. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
