This cilantro pesto recipe is a twist on classic pesto that uses cilantro and cashews. The cilantro is great for detoxing and the cashews add a subtle cheese flavor similar to parmesan, making this recipe dairy-free, vegan, and paleo.
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Cilantro Detox
Cilantro is a great herb to eat for detoxing toxic heavy metals. It helps to detox your liver, balances blood sugar levels, and helps with brain fog and memory issues. It’s high in vitamins A, C, and K, manganese, and iron. Cilantro is also antibacterial and aids with digestion.
Some people love cilantro. I don’t. It has a soapy metallic taste to me. So why am I making cilantro pesto?
Cilantro is known to help pull heavy metals out of your body. Metals like mercury, lead, aluminum, nickel, copper, and cadmium. These heavy metals accumulate over time. You can find them in everyday items like antiperspirant deodorant, cleaning supplies, aluminum foil, paint, pesticides, water, contaminated fish, cosmetics, etc.
Over time, heavy metals can negatively affect our organs including our brain, liver, and digestive system, and burden our immune system. They act as a neurotoxin and can also poison our gut. In addition to cilantro, parsley, spirulina, and wild blueberries also help to detox heavy metals.
Research has shown some people dislike the taste of cilantro because of genes. But unlike your height, a person’s brain can update new experiences and associations with how we perceive a type of food. I have also read that it could be because some people have a higher oxidative rate of heavy metals in their system and that eating more cilantro can reduce this. Both views believe the more you eat cilantro, the more you’ll like it. To help this process, crushing cilantro releases enzymes that make it more mild and palatable. Enter, cilantro pesto.
Cilantro Pesto Recipe
I love this cilantro pesto. The lime and garlic pair well with the cilantro and the cashews add a cheese-like flavor without the dairy.
This cilantro pesto is dairy-free, vegan, and paleo. When making this cilantro pesto recipe you’ll want to use organic cilantro. This will ensure you’re not adding toxins to your body while also trying to detox.
I also want to point out that the ingredients list 1 bunch of cilantro. You can naturally use as much cilantro as you want, but I want to clarify what a bunch is. Because honestly, it sounds pretty arbitrary, and a lot of recipes use the term. One bunch is the quantity that is bundled together at the grocery store. One bunch is shown below.
Cilantro Pesto Ingredients
- 1 bunch of cilantro (fresh, organic)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup cashews (raw, unsalted)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cilantro Pesto Instructions:
- Add cashews to a food processor and blend until they are a fine powder.
- Next, add and blend cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and salt.
- Finally, add olive oil and blend. You may need to scrape the sides down a couple of times to get everything blended evenly.
You can then store the pesto in your fridge for a week.
I’d love to hear if you like cilantro, and what your experience is with this recipe! Comment below, and happy eating! 🙂
Do you use the stems as well?
Yes, I do!
Yes! Stems are edible, unlike some other herbs
Hi, looking forward to making this today! Thanks for clarifying what a bunch is. Do you use the stems of the cilantro?
Hi Londa! I define a bunch as a unit that is sold at the grocery store. But it usually ends up being around 3/4 of a cup of packed leaves. I also use the stems!