5-Ingredient Artichoke Pesto

5-ingredient artichoke pesto brings a zesty lemony flavor, with plenty of parsley and garlic to the fresh, buttery flavor of artichokes.

What do you mean, pesto without basil? To this, I say, 'heck ya!”

What d you mean, pesto without oil? To this, I say, 'always.'

The mild, buttery, slightly nutty flavor of artichokes along with fresh parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and sunflower seeds is all you need for this one. We’re skipping out on the fresh basil for this one. In fact, if you don’t like parsley, you can make this without fresh herbs, although the parsley adds a peppery flavor that's worth the investment in a bit of green. 

What in the world ever lead someone to try eating a thistle? I can’t imagine, but I am glad they did. I grew up eating steamed artichokes. It was fun, peeling away the prickly leaves, dipping them in various sauces, and scraping the flesh between our teeth. Finally, after another plate was heaping with discarded leaves, you’d get to the 'good part' - the heart. It amounted to a few blissful moments of chewing as a reward for all the effort, but I never recall feeling it wasn't worth it. 

When I was busy eating artichokes, I wasn’t thinking about all the vitamins C, A, and D they contained. I was just interested in the flavor, but there is artichoke celebrating if you just read the label. For example, I didn't realize until I took a closer look that artichokes are protein-rich and contain loads of fiber. There is also evidence that you are getting powerful polyphenols, which boost your immune function. Well, that worth another spoonful!

For this recipe, we're taking all that nutrition and flavor and bypassing the peeling effort - except a few bucks for a can of artichoke hearts. And once you take a closer look, you'll discover that there are a few options and more than a few opinions.

For this recipe, ok, all my artichoke recipes, I recommend artichoke hearts that are either frozen or water-packed. Those are the healthiest, with the least amount of added ingredients. In particular, added oil.

In my opinion, they are also the best tasting.

Artichokes in brine versus marinated

There’s a difference here. Artichokes packed in brine are preserved in a vinegar mixture. This can add a different flavor to your pesto. If you use them, eliminate the lemon juice. 

Marinated artichokes, on the other hand, are usually laden with oil. You don’t even need to read the labels. Just look at the jar. If you a plant-based diet, then you already know, we try to avoid oil as much as possible. Marinated artichokes may also contain many different flavors that won’t yield the fresh pesto we’re after. Avoid the oil, avoid the added expense. Go for the plain old artichoke hearts.

This is one reason I love having a few cans of artichoke hearts on hand. Without any effort, they make a simple salad more inspiring. And pizza? That's a winner.

Can you eat raw artichokes?

Short answer – yes, siree! Even when I make tomato and artichoke pasta, I toss the artichokes in at the end.

Frozen artichokes

How cool is this? If you shop at big box stores, you can even buy big bags of frozen artichokes. You’ll want about 1 ½ cups for one batch of pesto. Just remove the amount you need and allow them to thaw and drain off any excess liquid. If you want to speed up the process, place them in a basket steamer over boiling water and steam them for about 2 minutes.

Ways to serve artichoke pesto

You’ve made it, now, go on, dip a spoon right in there. That will get the ideas flowing. Just in case, here are a few:

Pesto with pasta – think about a fresh spaghetti al pesto.

Artichoke bruschetta. This goes particularly well with baked hemp seed parmesan sprinkled on.

As a dip or spread on crackers or with vegetables

Wraps of any kind love this quick pesto. We also like it with plant-based bacon and tomato slices for a twist on our beloved BLT.

Pizza! If you love artichokes on pizza, you’ll love this pesto as a replacement for tomato sauces. Just spread, stack, and bake it up.

Final thoughts

I had my mind set on pizza when I first made this pesto, but I’ve got to admit, after realizing how easy it is to whiz this up, I've gotten a bit hooked. In a few minutes, you can make a  pretty amazing toasted sandwich (who knew?). It’s a break from hummus. You don’t even need to peel away all those pesky artichoke leaves to get to hearts. It’s right there, ready to treat you with something tasty makes you feel good. That’s what we’re all about. Peace.

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