Watch this fresh oregano pesto demo video and see which ingredients I put in first and why it makes a difference…
This year, oregano has outgrown everyone in my garden, including lemon balm! Ha! I know! Even though oregano is easy to grow, it’s hard to believe anything can outgrow lemon balm. But oregano wins the “first herb out of the gate” prize.
What do you do when oregano takes over the garden? Make fresh oregano pesto, of course. How much oregano pesto can one eat? Apparently, a lot…
Oregano Health Benefits
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is a hot and spicy herb. It’s very antimicrobial. Like thyme, oregano contains thymol, which is highly antiseptic and expectorant and helps to ease lung congestion.
Oregano is also rich in rosmarinic acid, which facilitates healing of bronchial inflammation. Oregano is also high in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron, calcium, and manganese.
Fresh oregano pesto is great to make when colds and flu are going around or maybe someone in your family has been exposed to a cold or you’ve been some place where there are a lot of people.
Fresh Oregano Pesto Recipe
This fresh oregano pesto contains loads of vegetables, antioxidants, and antimicrobial properties. It’s also dairy free and vegan friendly.
You get to choose how much garlic you put in your pesto. Do you like a little bit of garlic? Do you like a lot of garlic? I like a pungent pesto, so for this recipe, I put three small- to medium-size cloves.
We temper the heat of the oregano by adding cooling cucumber and extra fat in the form of avocado to absorb the heat from this spicy herb.
Use this pesto to top off a fish dish, add it to tacos, stir it into steamed veggies, and more.
I would love to hear from you! What are your favorite ways to eat oregano or herbal pesto? Please share in the comments below!
Oregano Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 2-3 cups cups leafy greens (spinach, salad mix, arugula)
- 1/2 cup fresh oregano
- 1 avocado
- 1 tbsp tamari
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blend oil, nuts, garlic and cucumber .
- Add greens, oregano, avocado, tamari, salt and pepper.
- Blend well.
- Eat within a couple of hours. Since this pesto has avocado in it, it has a shorter shelf life than other pesto.
So delicious!! Im definitely coming back to this recipe. I used all spinach for the greens and substituted radishes for the cucumber. Added a bit of smoked salt too. If you freeze it right away, it will last much longer and keep the bright green. I put half in the refrigerator and while it did brown a bit on top, it still kept fine for a couple days.
this sounds great. I am going to try with dried oregano. I got some from local health store dried from fresh still on stalks. It smells delicious. Also we love garlicfor its flavour and medicinal virtues. We get it bulk on stalks so I’ll be using at least the 3 you suggest. If I leave off adding the avocado till its to be served, would that add to the time it lasts?
Yes, you can leave the avocado out at first and freeze it or refrigerate it. Then, add the avocado just before serving. Enjoy!
Thanks Kami, you are an amazing educator and a very generous person. I have both the book and the online course ‘My Herbal Kitchen’ and have learned so much!! I really use herbs and spices for every meal now!
SO glad to hear that you’ve got your anti viral spices in every meal, that is what I am trying to inspire. Glad you are enjoying the companion course for The Herbal Kitchen https://herbal-kitchen.com/myherbalkitchenclass
Can this be frozen like other pestos?
Yes, it is good for up to 3 months, except leave the avocado out. Don’t add avocado if you are going to freeze it
Can we use fermented veggies in your pesto recipe?
YEs!!
Hi Kami, This pesto recipe looks and sounds really good! Just wondering about making the pesto with the cucumber and all the other ingredients, except the avocado, then freezing the pesto, or at least storing it for a longer period of time, in the refrigerator? The avocado (either whole or part) could then be mashed and the pesto added at a later time? I’m thinking in terms of making a smaller amount, as needed. (I may be the only one in my family to eat the avocado-oregano pesto, and would not want to toss it.) Thank you!
Yes, when i am going to freeze pesto, i dont put in avocado.
Thank you so much for the lunchtime inspiration! I just made a pesto using what I had on hand: spinach and baby bok choy, micro greens, fresh thyme/basil, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cashews and avocado. After I processed it I added some tuna and ate the whole thing with Siete Lime Tortilla chips! Yum!!!
That sounds delicious!
Great recipe!!! Never thought of using salad mix, avocado, oregano, arugula . . .
Thanks for all the good ideas, Kami . . .
Are the cashews raw?
yes
HI, Kami!!!!! I just received my copy of The Herbal Kitchen! I am soooooo excited to start using it and get my kitchen stocked up with all the healthy goodness from your book. I will keep you posted as I try the different recipes and learn more about herbs and their uses. Thank you! <3