Chia Pesto

Chia in pesto? I was so skeptical! But, Julie Morris in her new book, Superfood Soups, showed me the light! This pesto is used in a minestrone I'll be posting in a few days and it is outrageously good! The chia seed gel serves to thicken the pesto and is a fabulous way to shave off calories and up the nutrient density in pesto compared to the classic recipe.

Chia Pesto
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 6 Tbsp water or vegetable broth
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 Tbsp pine nuts
• 1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together the chia seeds and water or broth. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to swell, stirring once or twice to break up any clumps.

In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend until smooth. Scrape the pesto into the bowl with the chia seeds, and mix well to incorporate. Cover, and refrigerate until use. Chia pesto will last up to 1 week, refrigerated.