Go Back
–+ servings
Oil-free Vegan Parsley pesto in the marble mortar with the wood pestle on a cutting board small bowls of Castelvetrano olives, pumpkin seeds and parsley leaves

Parsley Pesto Made with a Marble Mortar & Wood Pestle

Using the traditional Italian method with a marble mortar and wood pestle comes a vibrant flavorful, oil-free vegan parsley pesto.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Appetizers & Snacks, Side
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean
Diet: Vegan, WFPB
Servings: 6 Tablespoons

Tools Used in this Recipe

  • 1 Marble Mortar and Wood Pestle
  • 1 Kitchen Towel
  • 1 Chef Knife
  • 1 Pairing Knife
  • 4 small bowls optional, for prepped ingredients

Ingredients

  • 6–10 Flat-leaf Parsley Stalks with leaves enough to make 1 cup of chopped parsley
  • 1–2 Garlic cloves
  • 6 Castelvetrano olives
  • 1/4 cup Sprouted or plain raw
  • 1/8 tsp Coarse salt
  • 1–3 Tbls Water

Instructions

Prep the Ingredients for the Mortar

  • Parsley: separate the parsley stems from the leaves. Cut the first 2–3 inches (4–6 cm) off from the stem stalks, then cut the stems crosswise into 1/8in (3–4mm) pieces. Roll up the leaves and chop up roughly.
    6–10 Flat-leaf Parsley Stalks with leaves
  • Garlic: Peel the garlic, remove the germ inside the center of the clove.
    1–2 Garlic cloves
  • Olives: lightly bash the olives with a pounder or side of knife to release the pits, then remove the pits from the olives.
    6 Castelvetrano olives
  • Pumpkin Seeds: Place 1/4 cup of raw or sprouted pumpkin seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
    1/4 cup Sprouted or plain raw

Mortar & Pestle

  • Add the garlic and salt to the mortar and start crushing the garlic. Break up the garlic with the pestle, then press and rotate the pestle on the garlic. Continue until the garlic is pretty smooth and starts to release from the mortar.
  • Push the garlic from the bottom of the mortar to the sides. Add in the olives to the mortar bottom, one at a time. Break up with the pestle, then continue crushing by pressing the pestle and rotating on the olive.
  • Push the mixture from the mortar bottom to the side and add in a few pumpkin seeds and crush as noted above. The seeds may need a little more “banging’ with the pestle as opposed to pressing and rotating. Continue adding and crushing the seeds until pretty smooth.
  • Push the mixture to the mortar sides and add in the parsley stems a bit a t a time and crush, then add in the parsley leaves and use the press and rotate method. This will help release the flavorful essential oils that give this pesto its vibrancy.
  • If the pesto is too thick (not spreadable) add in water a teaspoon at a time, blend in with the pestle and add more water if needed up to about 2 tablespoons should do it.
  • This recipe makes 1/2 cup. Place in a small glass or ceramic container, put a date on the jar. Use right away or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

Place a kitchen towel under the mortar if there is any concern about cracking or scratching the counter surface.