Are you thinking of organizing a summer party and would you love to surprise your friends & family with a healthy raw vegan appetizer that will tingle their taste buds? Try this Heirloom Tomato Pesto Stack! Heirloom tomatoes are one of my favorite summer products. They can literally brighten up any dish! Plus: tomatoes, basil & pine nuts are a match made in heaven… Don’t you think? If you like Italian flavors, you will love this appetizer!
Heirloom Tomato Pesto Stack
SERVES: 2 people
EQUIPMENT: food processor, rubber spatula
INGREDIENTS:
Pesto
2 cups of fresh basil, pressed
1 cup of fresh parsley, pressed
1 cup of fresh spinach, pressed
¼ cup of pine nuts (or cashews)
¼ cup of sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste
2 teaspoons of sweet ‘Shiro’ miso
1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon of Himalayan crystal salt or sea salt, or more to taste
2 large pinches of black pepper
Heirloom Tomato Pesto Stack
2 large tomatoes of your choice, finely sliced (I used cœur de bœuf, a heirloom variety)
¼ small zucchini, finely sliced
Fresh basil, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Pesto
- Place your fresh greens (basil, parsley & spinach) in a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Pulse until finely ground.
- Add pine nuts, sunflower seeds, extra virgin olive oil, miso, nutritional yeast, salt and black pepper. Process again until you’ve got a creamy pesto. If you like your pesto to be even smoother, add more olive oil.
Heirloom Tomato Pesto Stack
- Take a plate of your choice and start with a layer of tomato.
- Add a large teaspoon of pesto on top & spread it evenly.
- Add two slices of zucchini, then another layer of tomato, and top it with pesto again. Proceed until you’ve got a nice stack.
- Garnish with pine nuts & fresh basil to taste.
- Serve this Heirloom Tomato Pesto Stack with a simple side salad of seasonal greens & fresh herbs: arugula, red leaf lettuce, Romaine, dill… Season with a simple dressing of lemon juice, salt, black pepper & olive oil.
JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:
- For extra flavor, add fresh basil on top of the pesto in between each layer.
- This pesto will stay fresh for at least 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- You can easily prepare this pesto in advance, but only assemble the tomato stack right before serving. This way, your tomato will stay sweet & juicy!
Now I would love to hear from you! Do you ever make your own pesto? How do you like to use it? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.
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