A great alternative to the classic basil pesto. Vegetarian, colorful and very tasty!

Roasted Beet Pesto

We start the new week with a lovely pink-red colored pesto, that makes a fantastic spread on a toast. Here, it will be part of a second recipe that will be published on the blog very soon. I am really excited about these two recipes, and I can’t wait to tell you more!

I really love beets. They are a fantastic versatile ingredient that you can use in both sweet and salty preparations, and they bring a nice color to your food. When I was little, we used to eat them in the most simple way: diced, with a vinaigrette. It was ok, but come on, we can do much better with these veggies!

Roasted Beet Pesto

If you are looking for some inspiration with beets, I invite you to make my beetroot gazpacho with a goat cheese cream, or my beetroot cake with vanilla frosting (yes, it’s a dessert with veggies, and it is also one of my favorites, just delicious!).

And now you can even make a nice pesto with them! While spending time on Instagram, I once stumbled upon a lovely toast with a pink-red spread on top and I figured it was beets. Since then, I have been thinking about the idea, between a beetroot hummus and beetroot pesto.

Roasted Beet Pesto

I chose the beet pesto, for its wonderful flavors: in one single spread, you can enjoy roasted beets and roasted walnuts, mixed and combined with Parmesan cheese, olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Then you just add some garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and your pesto is ready!

You get a very flavorful pesto with a fancy color (you know my theory about pretty food = better food). Cold, it makes a fantastic spread. I usually enjoying on a slice of dark bread, and add a sliced avocado on top with some feta cheese and cilantro. And soon, you will see this beetroot pesto involved in a very special recipe that is a 100% veggie recipe, healthy, and very tasty. Keep in touch!

Print

Roasted Beet Pesto

  • 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 4 reviews
  • Leave a Review
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 jar 1x
  • Category: Savory
  • Diet: Vegetarian

A great alternative to the classic basil pesto. Vegetarian, colorful and very tasty!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup red beets (5.3 oz, about 1 medium beet), chopped
  • 1/2 cup (2.2 oz) walnuts
  • 1/2 cup (12 cl) olive oil + 1 Tablespoon
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (1.8 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. °Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Wash and scrub the beet, and pat it dry. Peel and cut roughly into cubes, then place the pieces onto a large sheet of foil. Wrap the chopped beet in foil, making a foil packet.
  3. Place the packet on a baking sheet place onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until beets are soft. Allow to cool completely.
  4. In the meantime, roast the walnuts on all sides in a frying pan with one tablespoon of olive oil.
  5. Add all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender, and pulse several times.
  6. Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is a little bit too thick, add some extra olive oil or water until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper and blend well.

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Roasted Beet Pesto, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Roasted Beet Pesto_0263