Skip to content
UltraTruffle
Menu
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Salad
    • Side Dish
    • Soup
  • Tools & Ingredients
  • Contact Me
Menu
Fava Leaf Pesto

Double your Luck….

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Jen

Did you know that basil is considered one of the seven lucky plants for 2021 according to Feng Shui? I wondered if combining a lucky plant like basil, with the leaves of the lucky fava bean if you could double your luck….

A Recipe for Fava Greens Pesto served over couscous with carrots, spring peas, asparagus, garlic, and shallots.

Fava Leaves

I decided to give doubling my luck a try when I received these beautiful, tender fava greens in my latest CSA box from Spade and Clover gardens. I never knew that you could eat the tops of the fava bean plant. The greens have a wonderful earthy and butter like taste. I found that adding garlic, lemon juice, and hazelnuts made a wonderful pesto combination. For this particular meal I served the pesto tossed with pearled couscous and spring vegetables. Choosing sweeter spring vegetables, like peas and carrots, added balance to the dish. Fava greens pesto is also delicious as an appetizer served on toasted bread with a drizzle of olive oil.

Definitely pick up some fava greens if you happen upon them at your local farmer’s market or grocery store!

Fava Leaf Pesto

Fresh Fava Greens Pesto with Garlic and Hazelnuts

A sweet, earthy, flavorful, oil-free pesto featuring fava greens, basil, garlic, and hazelnuts. Perfect for topping couscous, pasta, grains, or as an appetizer for toasted baguette, crackers, and vegetables.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups fresh fava leaves
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts
  • 1/3 cup water
  • salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables and Couscous

  • 1 3/4 cups pearled or Israeli couscous
  • 3 cups carrots chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed petite spring peas
  • 1 minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and chopped

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients together.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Pesto will be thick and can be thinned with cooking liquid from pasta. If serving as an appetizer thin with additional water until you reach desired consistency.

Couscous and Vegetables

  • Cook couscous according to the package. Reserve some of the cooking liquid to thin pesto if needed.
  • Drain couscous and toss with pesto. If pesto is too thick, thin with olive oil or cooking liquid until you reach desired consistency.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil or broth in a large pan over medium heat.
  • Cook garlic and shallots with a pinch of salt and pepper until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
  • Add carrots and cook 2 minutes.
  • Add asparagus and peas and cook another 2 minutes. The vegetables should be tender but still maintain a bit of crunch.
  • Add vegetable mixture to the couscous and pesto and stir. Divide into six servings.
  • Drizzle with olive oil or top with nuts if desired before serving.
Keyword couscous carrots shallots garlic peas asparagus, couscous spring vegetables, fava bean pesto garlic and hazelnuts, fava bean pesto with couscous and spring vegetables, fava greens pesto, healthy easy appetizer recipe, healthy easy dinner recipe, healthy easy pesto recipe, oil free pesto, plant based fava greens pesto garlic and hazelnut, plant-based fava bean pesto garlic and hazelnut, vegan fava bean pesto garlic and hazelnuts, vegan fava greens pesto garlic and hazelnut
Strawberry Mint Basil Cucumber Salad

WANT MORE?

Grab 5 Fan Favorite Recipes in our Free Download when you sign up to receive the latest Ultratruffle recipes and news!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Slow Food, Less Effort, 1 Ingredient at a Time

Are you striving to make a lifestyle change or looking to discover plant-focused recipes the whole family will love?

My name is Jen. I am a wife, mom, and a pharmacist. I love to cook for my family, hike, run, and read about history. I enjoy eating fresh, seasonal, locally available produce. In addition to endurance trail runs and long bike rides, I will happily set out on foraging hikes for mushrooms and truffles.

Waiting for the seasons to change, fruits to ripen, vegetables to mature, or truffles to reach their peak (7-11 years) is an endurance sport in itself.  Nonetheless, the time and effort spent is well worth crossing that finish line and enjoying a delicious, healthy meal.

I always say the slower you run, the more you enjoy the trail. Food is the same. Cooking together in the kitchen with freshly harvested fruits and vegetables is all about taking life slower and enjoying the process and experience. Plant-based, healthy food for the whole family with less effort, so you can slow down and enjoy life!

Disclaimer: This website is for sharing recipes and cooking techniques that I use in my kitchen. It is not intended as medical advice. Ingredient information is for general knowledge only. Please consult your physician for medical questions and concerns regarding your personal health.

All rights reserved. Copyright pending. Recipes/photographs may not be copied and/or re-posted as an original work without express written consent by website owner.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Recent Posts

  • Parsley Horseradish Yogurt Sauce
  • Double Chocolate Goji Berry Cookies
  • Vegan Morel Mushroom Risotto
  • Salt-Crusted Baby Potatoes &…
  • Fig Salad with Creamy Toasted Pecan Dressing

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
© 2023 UltraTruffle | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme