Nasturtium Leaves Make Delicious Pesto—Here's How to Make It

Garden Betty

Most people don’t give nasturtiums a second look. They’re sometimes regarded as weeds, as they reseed easily and will grow absolutely anywhere with the least amount of maintenance.

But historically, nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are considered vegetables, hailing from South America and originally cultivated in Peru.

This deliciously distinctively pesto has a peppery bite thanks to the mustard-like leaves and flowers.

Ingredients

– 4 cups packed nasturtium leaves – 2 cups packed nasturtium flowers – 1 1/2 cups olive oil – 5 cloves garlic – 1 to 1 1/2 cups walnuts – 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

Pick a basket full of fresh, healthy leaves and flowers without any blemishes. If your plants aren’t blooming yet, using only the leaves is fine too.

Thoroughly wash and dry the leaves and flowers; tear larger leaves in half.

Add the leaves, flowers, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, and Parmesan to a blender or food processor. I like my pesto extra nutty and extra cheesy, so I use the full 1 1/2 cups for each ingredient.

Blend all the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.

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Garden Betty

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