Skip to main content

Pesto From the Sea

Image may contain Plant Wristwatch Vase Pottery Jar Food Potted Plant and Vegetable
Photo by Lisette Kreischer

This green pesto owes its intense and powerful flavor to the use of kombu. It’s such an easy recipe that you can experiment with the ingredients as much as you like. The arugula and basil, for instance, can be substituted with any leafy green of your choice. And the pine nuts can be replaced by any other type of nut, such as cashews or hazelnuts. You can even use sunflower seeds! Serve the pesto on crackers, on a grilled vegetable sandwich, or with a bowl of pasta.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 (8-ounce) jar

Ingredients

1.4 ounces (40 g) fresh kombu (or a mix of kombu and wakame)
⅓ cup (50 g) roasted pine nuts
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 cup (25 g) fresh basil (including stems)
1 cup (25 g) arugula
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storing
1½ teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Thoroughly rinse the kombu with water, making sure all pickling salt has been washed off. Dab dry and cut into pieces.

    Step 2

    Puree the kombu, nuts, garlic, basil, arugula, olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

    Step 3

    Put the pesto in a glass jar, cover with a layer of olive oil, and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Always serve with a clean spoon to maintain freshness.

Image may contain: Plant, Food, and Vegetable
Recipe from Ocean Greens: Explore the World of Edible Seaweed and Sea Vegetables by Lisette Kreischer and Marcel Schuttelaar. © Kosmos Uitgevers Utrecht/Antwerpen 2015, 2016. Translation © Maria M. Reimer and Victor Verbeck, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Buy the full book from Amazon.

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Inspired by the Basque pintxo, this great-on-anything salsa packs a punch.
Among the easiest appetizers ever.
A little shrimp paste goes a long, long, long way in this delicious vegetable dish.
Tangy and sunny, this curd can be made with either fresh or frozen pulp.
In this wafu pasta recipe from author Sonoko Sakai, the only cooking involved is boiling spaghetti.
“This is my all-time favorite beet dish,” writes cookbook author Nisha Vora.
This custardy and comforting tofu comes together in minutes, all thanks to your microwave. Serve with rice or bread for an easy meal.
This refreshing melon and cucumber salad works as a snack, starter, or side dish.