Delicious Shiso and Pistachio Pesto Recipe

Most people in the Western hemisphere know shiso as a garnish for sushi and sashimi platters, but these delicious green leaves are so much more than a decoration. They can be added to salads and smoothies, or turned into delicious pesto.


Ingredients: 
  • 1 1/2 cup shiso leaves, packed
  • 1/2 cup pistachio nuts
  • 1 small garlic clove 
  • juice of 2-3 green yuzu (use lime or lemon if you cannot get yuzu)
  • 1/3 cup virgin olive oil 
  • pinch freshly ground Sansho (Japanese pepper)
  • 1/2 tsp raw white miso paste (optional)
  • tiny pinch Celtic sea salt


Method: 
  • Place shiso leaves, pistachios and garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and blend until almost smooth. 
  • Add all remaining ingredients and blend again. Adjust the taste to your personal liking and serve with raw zucchini, cucumber, or daikon (white radish) pasta. Enjoy in good company!


Tip: You can change the taste of this pesto completely by replacing garlic with young ginger. Or add thinly sliced green garlic scapes and a dash of tamari for a more Japanese twist. 


Ingredients in this recipe are somewhat exotic, but can be easily obtained in Asian (Japanese) grocery stores and supermarkets, and probably online.

In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique 

Dominique Allmon©2016