Got lots of sour sorrel? Make this easy Sorrel Pesto! It's a flavorful, vibrant, garlicky, lemony, and bold. This is a great sauce or condiment to have on hand and can be used anywhere you would use regular pesto.
If you've been wondering what to make with sorrel leaves, then give this sorrel recipe a try!
Please note: there is a Jamaican hibiscus drink, sometimes called sorrel. This is not the recipe for that. If you've got hibiscus flowers and want to find a recipe for those, try this hibiscus lemonade.
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What does sorrel pesto taste like?
Sorrel sorrel leaves have a sour lemony flavor when you chew them. The pesto itself has more of a grassy flavor than traditional basil pesto. If you've ever made garlic mustard pesto or kale pesto, then you'll know what I am talking about. If the grassy flavor bothers you, you can substitute half the sorrel leaves with basil or spinach. Basil makes the most difference, spinach just makes it slightly less strong.
Personally, I love the bold flavor of sorrel in this pesto. I feel like the sorrel leaves pair will with salty, nutty Parmesan and fresh garlic. The lemon juice in the pesto highlights the lemony flavor of sorrel.
Where to find sorrel leaves
Sour leaf sorrel looks somewhat similar to spinach and has a distinctive arrow-shaped leaves that have kind of like a spiky shape at the base where the leaf meets the stem. Sorrel is not commonly sold in grocery stores, but you can find it at some farmer's markets or in CSA deliveries. But don't worry if you can't find where to buy it. Luckily, it's also VERY easy to grow!! I have mine growing outside in NJ as a perennial that just keeps on giving. I also grow some in my hydroponic garden (I have this one) and it grows like crazy! I get my seeds from dollarseed.com and 2 seeds is all I need to grow plants big enough to make a batch of sorrel pesto.
If you happen to go foraging for sorrel leaves, please be REALLY sure about plant identification and go with a local guide who can rule out any lookalikes and help you make sure you're picking the correct leaves.
How to use sorrel pesto
Sorrel pesto can be used just like regular pesto. Try it:
- Tossed with pasta
- As a spread on toasted baguettes
- As a base for tomato confit crostini or this roasted tomato crostini
- On grilled chicken
- As a sauce for roasted cauliflower
- Tossed with fresh roasted young potatoes
- Stirred into softened butter to make pesto butter
- Stirred into ricotta or cottage cheese to dollop on top of pasta or make ricotta / cottage cheese toast
Ingredients
This recipe makes about ¾ cups pesto. It can be doubled if you like.
- 1 cup fresh sorrel leaves, tightly packed (you can add fresh basil or baby spinach if you want to switch up the flavor or don't have enough sorrel leaves)
- ¼ cup olive oil (or more, if you want a thinner pesto sauce)
- ¼ cup unsalted cashews (or use pine nuts, but cashews give this pesto a nice texture and are much more affordable)
- ¼ cup cubed Parmesan cheese (I like to use small cubes I chop up instead of pre-grated cheese, but freshly grated Parmesan is also fine to use. Skipping the Parmesan is also fine if you want to make a vegan or vegetarian pesto.)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (you can also add a little lemon zest, if you want a stronger lemony flavor without the sourness)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste (start with just ¼ teaspoon, especially if you are using Parmesan, which adds salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- Small food processor
- Measuring cups and spoons
Instructions
Add all the ingredients EXCEPT for the olive oil to the food processor and pulse until it's crumbly.
Add the olive oil and process until the pesto is as smooth as you like. I like to leave a little texture. Give it a taste and see if it needs more salt or lemon juice. If it's too thick, add a bit more olive oil.
Use immediately, or transfer to a jar or tupperware container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing pesto
You can also freeze leftover pesto—I recommend freezing in an ice cube trays and then transferring the cubes to a freezer bag. This way you can take out as much as you need and thaw it in small portions.
Another way to freeze pesto is to transfer to a freezer bag, then zip it up removing as much air as possible. Lay it flat and try to spread the pesto in an even layer. Freeze it flat, then you can break off as much as you need. I don't like this way as much because the zip lock bag often breaks as you're cracking the frozen pesto.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Sorrel Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh sour leaf sorrel leaves - tightly packed (substitute with some fresh basil or baby spinach if don't have enough sorrel)
- ¼ cup olive oil - (or more, if you want a thinner pesto sauce)
- ¼ cup unsalted cashews - (or use pine nuts)
- ¼ cup cubed Parmesan cheese - (fresh grate Parmesan can be used too)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice - (you can also add lemon zest)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt - (or more, to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Special equipment
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients EXCEPT for the olive oil to the food processor and pulse until it's crumbly and mixed together.
- Add the olive oil and process until the pesto is as smooth as you like. I like to leave a little texture. Give it a taste and see if it needs more salt or lemon juice. If it's too thick, add a bit more olive oil.
- Use immediately, or transfer to a jar or tupperware container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.