Thai Basil Pesto with Peanuts, Lime and Garlic
A fresh, Thai-inspired pesto made with Thai basil, baby spinach, roasted peanuts, lime and garlic. This quick and easy Thai Basil Pesto is packed with bold flavour and comes together in minutes, perfect for pasta, grilled meats, sandwiches or freezing for later.
Equipment
- Food processor, blender or mortar & pestle
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed Thai basil leaves
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts (see notes)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 long green chilli, roughly chopped (optional or deseeded for less heat)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- Salt & pepper, to taste (see notes)
- ½ cup neutral oil (canola, rice bran, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut etc)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients (except oil) into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin steady stream until well combined. Transfer to an airtight container or glass jar and chill until required. Serve as desired.
THERMOMIX INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all ingredients (except oil) into the TM bowl. Mix for 15 seconds, Speed 7. Scrape down the sides.
- Add your oil of choice, cover, mix for 10 seconds, Speed 4.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container or glass jar and chill until required.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - Fish sauce and salt: If using fish sauce, you may only need a small pinch of salt or none at all. Taste after blending and adjust as needed. If omitting fish sauce, add salt to taste.
- Nut options: Roasted peanuts add great flavour, but cashews, almonds, walnuts or macadamias can be used instead.
- Texture: For a thicker pesto, reduce the oil slightly. For a looser, drizzle-style pesto, add a little extra oil until you reach your preferred consistency.
- Vegan option: Omit the parmesan and fish sauce, then add nutritional yeast and season well with salt.
- Using regular basil: You can swap Thai basil for Italian basil. Use pine nuts or almonds instead of peanuts and omit the fish sauce and brown sugar for a more classic pesto flavour.