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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes

    Recipe | Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto + Raw Food Resources for Beginners

    Published: May 2, 2013 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 19, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto
    One misconception I always had about raw foods was that it was all either terribly boring or way too involved for me to bother with. I had no interest in schlepping all over town for weird ingredients and buying special equipment online or spending 8 hours sprouting seeds and another 4 hours dehydrating them for an afternoon snack. While these things are definitely true sometimes, I've started dabbling a little in eating more raw food and I've realized that it's definitely doable.

    So what exactly does raw mean? Although there are varying definitions, it's usually a vegan diet that consists of food that hasn't been heated above 104 to 115 degrees. (Different people have different preferences for the temperature.) Because some heating is allowed, dehydration is often used to "cook" raw foods.

    I'm not a nutritionist, but the reason I've decided to incorporate more raw foods into my diet is because I believe that some foods are healthier when raw, while other foods are healthier when cooked. I'm not looking to go entirely raw, just seeking a little more balance, so I've been eating more raw lunches, snacks, and desserts lately. And guess what? I still don't have any special equipment or strange ingredients. There are lots of beginner-friendly raw recipes out there if you know where to look and, failing that, there are more and more prepared raw foods on the market today. Here are some of the resources I've been using:

    Ordering Raw Food Online

    Triangle Raw Foods // I have to mention my local favorite, Triangle Raw Foods! If you don't live in the Raleigh/Durham area, you can order their raw protein bars, salad dressings, sprout nut butters, and sweet, sweet candy online.

    Raw Food Books

    Annelie's Raw Food Power by Annelie Whitfield // I received a review copy of this book and I've been enjoying it, although there are a lot of recipes in here that require a dehydrator or ingredients I don't generally have on hand. My favorite recipe from the book, Pumpkin Pesto, is posted below. I toss it with raw vegetable noodles made with julienned yellow squash, zucchini, and carrots--so delicious! (And super easy too.) You can enter to win a copy of Annelie's Raw Food Power on the Marketplace this month too.

    In The Raw: Small Indulgences from The Sweet Life // This ebook by Sarah from The Sweet Life is the second raw cookbook I bought. I am loving raw desserts right now and this book is full of them. There's also a guide to raw kitchen necessities, which is a great resource.

    Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make by Amber Shea Crawley // If, like me, you are a dabbler when it comes to this whole raw food thing, this book is for you. Flexible? Anyone can make? Yes, I clearly needed this book.

    Going Raw by Judita Wignall // Another raw food book for beginners with lots of information on raw food preparation techniques like dehydration and sprouting.

    Raw Food Blogs

    Rawmazing // I love Rawmazing for its beautiful photography and unique recipes. Guess what else? Rawmazing has a store! So if you do feel inclined to buy some raw food equipment, you can buy it there.

    Chef Amber Shea // Well, I love Practically Raw, so is it a surprise that I love the author's food blog too? This is another blog that includes some cooked dishes too, but the raw recipes have their own category.

    See? Raw food doesn't have to be intimidating and it can definitely be more interesting than a handful of celery sticks or almonds.

    Recipe

    Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recipe

    Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto

    Toss this pumpkin seed pesto with uncooked julienned veggies or use it as a spread for raw crackers.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: pesto recipe, Raw Pumpkin Seed Pesto
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 1224kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 1 c. pumpkin seeds pepitas, soaked for 2 hours then drained
    • ½ c. olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp. raw honey
    • 1 c. fresh basil leaves
    • 1 tsp. sea salt
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until very smooth. (I like my pesto a little chunky, so I kind of ignored the very smooth part.)

    Notes

    Reprinted with permission from Ivy Press.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1224kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 40gFat: 118gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 32gMonounsaturated Fat: 62gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 970mgPotassium: 1322mgFiber: 9gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 6259IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 271mgIron: 15mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

    Disclosure: The links to Amazon in this post are affiliate links, so if you were to make a purchase, I'd receive a small percentage of the sale price.

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    Cooking Tips & Hints, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes 30 minutes or less, basil, gluten-free, raw, sauces, summer

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      May 02, 2013 at 8:27 am

      For awhile I was pretty high raw/vegan and clearly that's not the case now, but I can totally appreciate it and love to eat as much raw/vegan as I can. Along with some cookies and brownies 🙂

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:15 pm

        Yeah, I don't think I could ever give up cookies or brownies. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cassie | Bake Your Day says

      May 02, 2013 at 8:53 am

      Great post, Kiersten. It's so hard to get started with raw and vegan. I love this pasta!

      Reply
    3. Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says

      May 02, 2013 at 9:12 am

      This pesto sounds so amazing!

      Reply
    4. Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says

      May 02, 2013 at 9:21 am

      This is a very interesting post, thank you for tips and links to "raw" blogs 🙂

      Reply
    5. janet @ the taste space says

      May 02, 2013 at 9:42 am

      Like you, I don't think 100% raw should be the ideal, but it is good to incorporate into a healthy diet. Thankfully there are so many online resources to help people decide whether it is worth jumping into raw cooking. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Gwen says

      May 02, 2013 at 11:29 am

      I've been looking around recently for vegan or raw recipes and chancing upon your blog is really timely. Thanks for sharing all the links, it's really helpful! Can't wait to try some of your recipes 🙂

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:13 pm

        Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Alexis @ Hummusapien says

      May 02, 2013 at 12:01 pm

      This is genius! It's looks super creamy without any cheese--fabulous! I love the idea of incorporating more raw foods into our diet. I just started working at raw food company that makes delicious dehydrated snacks like crackers, granola and macaroons out of gluten-free ingredients like oats, nuts and seeds. It's so amazing to see what you can create with raw food!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:12 pm

        Yes, it was creamy! The little bits of pumpkin seeds almost reminded me of little bits of parm. 🙂 Your job sounds awesome--I am jealous! Do you get to take home lots of free food?!

        Reply
    8. dixya| Food, Pleasure, and Health says

      May 02, 2013 at 1:32 pm

      I am always looking for more ideas to incorporate clean eating + raw food. this pesto sounds amazing - i bought some pumpkin seeds a while ago, certainly going to try it out 🙂 I like substituting basil with spinach leaves sometimes or the combination of it.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:11 pm

        I've never made spinach pesto, although I have tried arugula. I need to do that!

        Reply
    9. Gwen@SimplyHealthyFamily says

      May 02, 2013 at 1:33 pm

      I like your approach to raw foods, that some foods are better for you when cooked. We eat a lot of whole foods and its easy to go raw in the hot summer months here in Phoenix! 😉

      This pesto sounds wonderful, love the acv.

      Reply
    10. Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says

      May 02, 2013 at 1:55 pm

      You know how when you see a word a certain number of times it starts to look really weird? Raw seemest like the strangest word to me now! haha ... the food doesn't sound strange though, it all sounds delicious .. I agree though that certain foods are better for you cooked, so I like mixing raw and cooked to get all the proper nutrients out of your food!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:10 pm

        Ha! I do that all the time. Mostly with my name. When I look at it too much, I start thinking, "What kind of name is Kiersten?!"

        Reply
    11. Alexandra @ Delicious Knowledge says

      May 02, 2013 at 2:20 pm

      Well as a plant-based RD/Nutritionist I DON'T recommend an entirely raw food diet, mostly for the reasons mentioned above. It is a good idea though to incorporate lots of raw foods into anyone's diet, vegan included! In the Spring/Summer I crave more raw salads, pastas, desserts, and can't wait to start eating more of these types of foods! This pasta looks delicious and perfect for beginners.

      Reply
    12. Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch says

      May 02, 2013 at 2:45 pm

      This pesto sounds great!!!

      Reply
    13. Stephanie @ henry happened says

      May 02, 2013 at 2:49 pm

      I've never really understood the raw food thing but if there's pesto involved? That's another story! And I totally thought that was pasta - not veggies! Wonder if my kids would think the same thing....

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:07 pm

        They're young, you can tell them anything and they'll believe it, right? 🙂

        Reply
    14. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      May 02, 2013 at 5:14 pm

      I love pumpkin seeds, this pesto sounds wonderful and the perfect way tot try out raw eating!

      Reply
    15. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

      May 02, 2013 at 6:19 pm

      This pesto looks the besto! I had to do it 😉

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:04 pm

        It's better than the resto!

        Reply
    16. Pam @Mommacan says

      May 02, 2013 at 8:48 pm

      I have never even thought of Pumpkin Seed Pesto, it wounds wonderful. I am liking the look of that pasta. I have some to slice up but have just not had time.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:04 pm

        Someday I want to get a spiralizer, but in the meantime, julienning the veggies works. 🙂

        Reply
    17. Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says

      May 02, 2013 at 10:44 pm

      I think I'd be inclined to try a recipe here and there, but there's no way I could eat an exclusively raw diet. Of course, even you said you couldn't.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:03 pm

        There's no way I could either. I did 3 days of raw food and I loved it and felt amazing, BUT I really missed eating things that were warm.

        Reply
    18. dishing up the dirt says

      May 02, 2013 at 11:31 pm

      great post! Thanks for the links to the raw food blogs. I eat a lot of raw food meals on accident. And I totally agree, you don't need crazy equipment or weird ingredients. Love this recipe lady!

      Reply
    19. marissa @ the boot says

      May 03, 2013 at 3:47 am

      this is such a wonderfully detailed post! i will definitely check out these resources. i love the idea of the julienned veggies as pasta!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:02 pm

        They are so good! I first had them in a raw Pad Thai that I got a few weeks ago and I knew I had to try it out myself.

        Reply
    20. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      May 03, 2013 at 3:59 am

      I can eat raw food from time to time...the pesto with pumpkin seeds sounds just the right one for me.

      Reply
    21. Robin (Masshole Mommy) says

      May 03, 2013 at 6:24 am

      The pesto sounds absolutely delicious!

      Reply
    22. Kathryn says

      May 03, 2013 at 8:27 am

      Eating raw has always seemed so scary and intimidating so thank you for breaking it down a bit and removing some of the mystery!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 7:01 pm

        I always thought it was intimidating too! And some of it is, but there are a lot of recipes out there that are absolutely doable. 🙂

        Reply
    23. honeywhatscooking says

      May 03, 2013 at 1:49 pm

      looks so gorgeous. love how you added pumpkin seeds to this dish.

      Reply
    24. Alissa N says

      May 03, 2013 at 2:19 pm

      This looks so easy and delicious!! I love incorporating raw foods at this time of the year, can't wait to give this pesto a try!!

      Reply
    25. Freda Love Smith says

      May 03, 2013 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks so much for the recipe (which looks wonderful!!) and links. I am on the active lookout for raw recipes that are satisfying and family-friendly, and is a great start!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        May 03, 2013 at 6:59 pm

        Yeah, some raw stuff definitely wouldn't be appealing to kids. 🙂 But pesto is always a winner, right?!

        Reply
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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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