Thai Pesto
I wish I would have planted some Thai basil along with all the Sweet Dani, Genova, and Purple Ruffles because it would be perfect in this pesto.
This pesto is the marriage of two great cuisines; Thai and Italian. It is inspired by the richness of traditional pesto and the spicy tang of a good peanut sauce. It’s also a last ditch effort to preserve the remainder of the summer garden bounty.
The basil is not as pretty as it once was, but it makes up for beauty with an intensity in flavor brought on by less light and a desire for self-preservation.
Thai Pesto
Makes ~a half pint
- 4 cups loosely packed clean basil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider or rice vinegar
- 4-5 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- a nob of peeled ginger
- a splash of soy sauce
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- a pinch of salt
Break out the food processor because it’s going to be doing all the work for you.
Pack the basil into the processor and whirl away until the leaves are roughly chopped.
Add the rest of the ingredients and process until very smooth.
You may need to turn off the processor and scrape the sides a few times and taste test a long the way. Start out with just a sprinkle of soy sauce, salt, and red pepper flakes and adjust to your personal preference. If your peanut butter is salted than you may want to eliminate the added salt all together.
Thai Pesto can be used like any pesto or you can continue with the Thai influence and toss it with rice noodles and top with crunchy crushed peanuts a la Pad Thai or I bet it would make an amazing spread inside a Summer Salad Roll, you wouldn’t even need a sauce.
I plan on eating mine on top of a baked sweet potato, the richness of the peanut butter and the spice of the ginger and pepper flakes will compliment the sweetness deliciously!
