Sunflower Seed Pesto

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Why you’ll love this sunflower seed pesto

• Seed cycling friendly – for the luteal phase
• Oil-free
• Easy and quick – ready in under 10 minutes
• You only need 6 whole food ingredients
• Vegan
• Gluten free
• Low calorie
• High in vitamins E and K with 50% of the total daily requirement per serving!

Ingredients to make sunflower seed pesto

Sunflower seeds: get them shelled to save time! Sunflower seeds are part of the seed cycling protocol for the luteal phase of the female menstrual cycle and they’re what make this pesto recipe seed-cycling friendly.

Basil: stems included – basil is the star of the show and you’ll need a lot of it, so I highly recommend buying organic if possible!

Lemon: not only does the lemon add flavor and brightness to the pesto, it also keeps it from browning in the fridge. 

Garlic: a little bit of fresh garlic goes a long way in this pesto. The garlic is slightly pungent on it’s own but in the pesto, it becomes a lovely aromatic, umami flavor

Salt: adds flavor and also cuts the bitterness from fresh basil and fresh garlic

Black pepper: freshly cracked black pepper gives the dish an earthy, pine-like flavor.

How to make sunflower seed pesto

Step 1: wash the basil and lemon, then peel the garlic cloves

Step 2: add all ingredients to a food processor like this one, then process on high until well incorporated. 

Step 3: serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Serving Suggestions

• Top it over warm, al-dente pasta
• Swirl it into the center of a hummus bowl, serve with charcuterie (my fav!)
• Smear it over toasted sourdough
• Layer it in a sandwich or wrap
• Use it as a dressing into a big salad bowl

Recipe Tips

Use the stems

Basil stems are just as flavorful and nutrient dense as the leaves, and I always recommend using the whole plant whenever possible.

Add water as needed

If your mixture appears too grainy after blending, add in water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture homogenizes and resembles a light green color. There should still be some granularity to the pesto – it’s pesto, after all, as opposed to a smooth sauce! The way to tell is by looking to see if the granules are suspended in a thick cream. Add more water if the mixture still appears to be dry or crumbly.

Meal prep

If making this recipe in advance, I have a little tip for you to prevent excessive browning. Slice a lemon into 1″ thick disks, then layer the lemon slices overtop the pesto before covering and sealing. The lemon prevents excessive oxidation on the top layer of this pesto so you won’t have to skim anything off the top when you’re ready to enjoy it!

Recipe Card

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Sunflower Seed Pesto

A bright and earthy seed-cycling friendly, oil-free pesto recipe! This nutrient-dense condiment is a perfect complement to pastas, hummus bowls, and sandwiches alike.

Course Appetizer, Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword dairy-free, healthy, oil free, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 155kcal

Equipment

• 1 Food processor see blog post for my link to purchase

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds*
• 3 cups basil, loosely packed**
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and pulse until homogenous.
• If mixture appears too dry, slowly add water while blending, 1 tbsp at a time.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

Notes

*check to ensure these are unsalted. If salted, reduce the salt accordingly.

**include both stems and leaves

Did you try this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!