Citric Acid Free Mint & Herb Pesto
Most store-bought pestos and condiments sneak in citric acid as a preservative, making label-reading an exhausting chore. This bright, herb-forward sauce skips all of that ā the only acid here comes from a small amount of fresh lemon juice and zest, which you control completely. Three fresh herbs do the heavy lifting: mint brings a cool, almost floral note, basil adds its classic sweetness, and flat-leaf parsley keeps everything grounded and a little peppery. A couple of garlic cloves and a generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil pull it all together into a coarse, spoonable paste that feels genuinely luxurious. The food processor does the work in under a minute, so this is weeknight-friendly without sacrificing any depth of flavor. Spoon it over grilled chicken, toss it through pasta, swirl it into soup, or spread it on crusty bread ā it's one of those sauces that makes everything it touches taste more alive. Store it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and it stays vibrant and ready to go.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- Ā½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt
- Ā½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Add the mint, basil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8ā10 times until the herbs are coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the pesto comes together into a coarse, spoonable paste ā about 20ā30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate any remaining herb pieces.
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