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    Home » Recipe » Sorrel Pesto - Bright, Delicious And Easy

    Sorrel Pesto - Bright, Delicious And Easy

    Published: Nov 14, 2018 · Modified: May 4, 2022 by Sabrina Currie · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Sorrel pesto is a delicious way to use this tasty spring green. With traditional pesto flavors of nuts and parmesan and the fresh lemon flavor of sorrel, this is my favorite twist on the traditional pasta sauce.

    Jump to:
    • Other sorrel recipes
    • Growing your own sorrel
    • My Ingredients
    • Step By Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe

    There are many ways to use this lovely herb and if you google recipes you'll find many are from northern Europe where it is a very common ingredient.  Often it is cooked but I personally prefer it raw so that it retains it's bright citrus flavor. Sorrel Pesto is the perfect way to enjoy it's fresh lemon like quality.

    We love pesto and if you do too, you might also like to try my Vegan Basil Mint Pesto, Easy Vegan Parsley Pesto With Hazelnuts and my Almond Pesto. Add this or any pesto to top my Vegan Italian White Beans for an extra special treat.

    Closeup of finished sorrel pesto in black mortar. It is bright green with small brown flecks of nuts.

    Other sorrel recipes

    Popular recipes include sorrel sauce with salmon and sorrel soup, both of which are French recipes. Used in mixed salads, it adds a very bright fresh note and in pesto it is lighter and milder than basil.  Once cooked it loses much of it's bright flavor and can sometimes be a little on the bitter side.

    Growing your own sorrel

    One of the big perks of living on Canada's West Coast is our mild winters. We are well into November now and my spring sorrel is staging a comeback after the heat and dryness of the summer had decimated it.  I thought I better use it now though, before we start getting heavy frost and finally got around to making sorrel pesto which had been on my mind last spring.

    White bowl of fettucine topped with green pesto sauce in middle.
    Easy Sorrel Pesto From West Coast Kitchen Garden

    Sorrel is fresh and very lemony in flavour, in fact my daughter calls it lemon leaf and loves to pick leaves to snack on while out in the garden. 

    It is an extremely easy and low maintenance herb to grow, some might call it a weed, but it is a lovely addition to a kitchen garden. It is hearty, one of the first plants to start growing in the spring and one of the last to keep producing in the fall. Sorrel is a fantastic vitamin and fiber powerhouse too. 

    Sorrel Growing On Vancouver Island
    Sorrel Growing On Vancouver Island

    Plant your sorrel in a spot it can stay and it will come back for you each year. This plant doesn't take up too much space, approximately one square foot. I used a lot of it this year in salads and sauces and so I decided to let mine go to seed this summer in hopes of having a few more plants next spring. (If you love growing herbs, check out my collection of Mint Recipes and Parsley Recipes.)

    My Ingredients

    Side view of ingredients for the pesto including olive oil, sorrel leaves, parmesan, garlic and hazelnuts.

    Step By Step Instructions

    For my sorrel pesto, I decided to use local hazelnuts as the base.  They are so delicious and fresh here right now. Hazelnuts are a relatively soft nut that can be crushed or ground into a nice paste consistency but you could certainly use another soft mild nut like cashews or pine nuts.

    A white bowl of hazelnuts on a black table.

    First, grind your nuts and garlic in a mortar and pestle or a food processor.

    Next, add in the sorrel and continue to grind or process until you have an even, coarse paste.

    Green sorrel leaves in a black mortar with pestle in it too.

    Once the greens and nuts are as ground as you want them, add in your oil and process or stir to combine.

    Green pesto in a black mortar with grated parmesan in a measuring cup beside it.
    Fettuccine With Sorrel Pesto

    Then added a cup of grated Parmesan cheese to help bind it all together and give that melty, creamy consistency when spooned over hot pasta.

    The green pesto in the black bowl has fresh grated parmesan on top, ready to be stirred in.

    Finally, add the lemon zest and stir thoroughly if using. The bright zest highlights the lemon flavor even further for a truly spring taste.

    Lemon zest added to green pesto in the black bowl. There is a whole lemon and zester laying beside.

    Once all ingredients are added, taste and adjust salt and olive oil as desired for flavor and texture.

    White bowl on black table with fettucine topped with green sorrel pesto on top.

    Related Recipes

    • Best 75 Easy + Delicious Appetizers For Pizza Night
    • Pasta Alla Salmone
    • Easy Vegan Parsley Pesto With Hazelnuts
    • Zucchini Flower Pizza

    My family gave the thumbs up that this is a keeper and one big advantage over classic pesto with pine nuts and basil is that this is really economical to make.  I hope you get a chance to try this and if you don't already have sorrel growing in your garden, I highly recommend planting it next spring.

    For more on what I'm cooking up, follow me on Instagram or Facebook. You might also like my FREE printable weekly meal planner.

    Cheers friends! Sabrina

    Recipe

    White bowl on black table with fettucine topped with green sorrel pesto on top.

    Sorrel And Hazelnut Pesto

    Delicious and so easy, sorrel pesto is a bright lemony version of the classic made with spring sorrel from the garden or farmer's market and local hazelnuts. Quick to whip up in your food processor. 
    4.93 from 27 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment, Dinner, Main, Sauce
    Cuisine: Italian, West Coast
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 297kcal
    Author: Sabrina Currie

    Ingredients

    • ½ c Hazelnuts
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 2 c Sorrel Leaves
    • ½ c Olive Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
    • 1 c Parmesan, Grated 100 grams/3 oz

    Instructions

    • In food processor (or with mortar and pestle if you feel like it and have the extra time) process the hazelnuts and salt until the nuts are very finely ground.  Add the garlic and process again until it is uniform with the nuts. 
    • Add the sorrel, about ½ cup at a time until it is finely ground.
    • Add the oil slowly, continuing to stir or process as you pour it in.
    • Stir in the lemon zest and grated parmesan and season to taste with salt. Add extra oil in you want a looser sauce.
    • Serve with hot pasta like fettuccine or pappardelle, on crostini or as a condiment on white beans, grilled fish or chicken.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 680mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @wckitchengarden or tag #wckitchengarden!
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    About Sabrina Currie

    Classically French trained cook, photographer and food stylist living on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura

      May 12, 2020 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      This dish with sorrel pesto looks delicious. I have sorrel in my garden too and enjoy the bright lemony taste. What a great idea to use hazelnuts in the pesto. Thanks for adding all the step by step photos.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 12, 2020 at 11:52 am

        Thank you Laura! I love the flavour of sorrel raw as opposed to cooked so it retains its brightness. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    2. Vanessa

      May 12, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      This pesto looks delicious! Now I have something else to make with sorrel other than just throwing into salads.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 13, 2020 at 7:46 am

        Yes, I’m sure you’ll love it with all the bright citrusy flavour of the sorrel! Thanks for reading 🙂

        Reply
    3. Julia

      May 13, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      5 stars
      What a beautiful and fresh looking dish. I bet the flavour is absolutely fantastic. And that colour, wow!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 14, 2020 at 7:25 am

        Fresh sorrel has not only a bright color but a bright fresh flavour when used raw. I hope you give it a shot and thanks for reading along!

        Reply
    4. Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli

      May 14, 2020 at 8:48 am

      5 stars
      I wasn't familiar with sorrel until a friend who is also a food blogger gave us some from her garden. I loved adding it to our salad! It has such a bright citrusy flavor. I'm sure we would love this pesto!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 14, 2020 at 11:32 am

        It’s such a lovely green us bet it?! If you like the flavour, you’ll love the pesto! Thanks for chiming in 🙂

        Reply
    5. Bernice Hill

      May 14, 2020 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great post. I was actually wondering if I should add sorrel to my herb garden this year but I wasn't sure if it spreads or not. If I can find some, it's going in!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 16, 2020 at 11:54 am

        Sorrel is wonderful in the garden and will not take over. I plant mine by my rhubarb as it arrived around the same time each year. It will go to seed eventually but it is easy to control by picking the seed head off (like you would for parsley or rhubarb), it won’t spread through the root system. The lovely thing with this is once you plant it once, it’ll come back on it’s own.

        Reply
    6. Colleen

      May 17, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      I love using the herb garden for more than just seasonings, and this recipe looks wonderful. I especially love that you used hazelnuts. I've never used them in pesto before and since they are local for us I can't wait to try it!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 17, 2020 at 9:37 pm

        Hazelnuts are such a delicious and versatile nut, really great in any pesto. Thanks for reading along Colleen!

        Reply
    7. Cynthia Priest

      May 17, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      5 stars
      Great tips on sorrel! I ought to find some seeds for next spring. Sorrel pesto sounds lovely!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 17, 2020 at 9:35 pm

        Yes! Do worth it to have sorrel. A nice early spring green 🙂

        Reply
    8. Kristen

      May 18, 2020 at 6:33 am

      5 stars
      Oooooh I absolutely love sorel and have planted some in my garden, so this recipe is a must! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 18, 2020 at 8:39 am

        You’re welcome! I hope you love it, sorrel really is a delicious spring green 🙂

        Reply
    9. nancy @instanomss

      May 18, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      5 stars
      i love sorels but never have any in my garden! I should try it this summer! thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        May 18, 2020 at 2:43 pm

        You’re welcome and thanks for chiming in!

        Reply
    10. Terri

      May 18, 2020 at 8:19 pm

      5 stars
      I didn't even know sorrel was a thing, especially a thing that you could make pesto out of! It sounds delicious - I wonder if I could grow it in Calgary's short growing season?

      Reply
    11. Rima

      May 20, 2020 at 1:20 pm

      Do you use roasted or unfrosted hazelnuts for this?

      Reply
      • Rima

        May 20, 2020 at 1:21 pm

        I meant roasted or raw

        Reply
        • SabCurrie

          May 20, 2020 at 1:23 pm

          Hi Rima, both will work well but for a slightly smoother consistency, I use raw Hazelnuts 🙂

          Reply
          • Rima

            May 20, 2020 at 2:09 pm

            Great, thank you! Is peeled better? I'm very much looking to trying your recipe. I actually picked up sorrel for the first time from the farmers market and just cooked it with olive oil, butter, and shallots (and topped on salmon). Your pesto sounds great so it will be my next way to try sorrel

            Reply
            • SabCurrie

              May 20, 2020 at 2:10 pm

              Peeled is marginally better but very time consuming so up to you. You’ll find the sorrel has a much brighter flavour used raw in the pest than cooked. I hope you get a chance to let me know how you like it after you try it 🙂

            • Rima

              May 20, 2020 at 2:50 pm

              Definitely will do! I plan to try in a week or so after I get sorrel from the farmers market this weekend.how long does the pesto last once I make it?

            • SabCurrie

              May 20, 2020 at 3:11 pm

              3 days in fridge, a month or more in freezer.

            • Rima

              May 20, 2020 at 3:05 pm

              Will do! It might be a week or so. How long will it last in the fridge?

            • SabCurrie

              May 20, 2020 at 3:11 pm

              3 days in fridge though the top may brown a little. If longer, this freezes very well.

    12. Mark Lipman

      January 31, 2023 at 12:35 pm

      I want to try sorrel pesto tonight! I have a healthy sorrel bush but I've only ever made soup from it. I imagine pine nuts or walnuts would work as well as hazelnuts in the pesto...

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        January 31, 2023 at 12:40 pm

        Hi Mark, yes both nuts work great in pesto. Pine nuts will be milder, walnuts add in their distinctive flavour. We enjoy the pesto raw, spooned over our bowl of hot pasta for the best bright flavour. (Cooking sorrel gives it a much earthier, more muted flavour). Let me know how it goes!
        Cheers, Sabrina

        Reply

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