Onion Pesto Recipe
INSPIRED BY IRAN
SA
The oldest known cultivation of onions dates to about 7,000 years ago. Some believe this bulb vegetable first grew in Iran. Thereafter, onion cultivation spread fast since onions are easy to grow as well as adaptable to different soils and climates.
​
Since onions naturally leave little to no trace for archaeologists to dig up, the precise origins of these vegetables are unknown.
SAVE FOR LATER
Makes 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
2 cups quartered sweet onion
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/2 cup butter beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
-
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until the desired consistency forms.
-
If using a mortar and pestle, crush the walnuts until a fine crumb forms. Add the onion and mint, and mash until smooth. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Mash until the desired consistency forms.
-
Store pesto in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Use throughout the week in the next two recipes. Pesto can last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.
Uses
Roast Beef Pinwheels
As a whole, kebabs (or kabobs) encompass various meat dishes that originated in the Middle East. One type of kebab popular in Iran is kebab koobideh, or kobida. This meat kebab is made with ground lamb or beef and mixed with chopped onions. Another kebab variation is the shish kebab.
​
Naan Bread
Naan is the word for bread in Iran. It also refers to a specific type of bread that Persians enjoy with cheese or butter. Traditionally, this flatbread is oven-baked and stuffed with some type of meat.
​