Do you all remember the cilantro pesto I posted a few weeks back? Well the cilantro infestation in my garden kinda got out of hand while we were out of town, and when I say kinda, I mean waaaayyyy out of hand, like I think it killed a few other plants—who knew cilantro could be so vicious!
I had no choice but to hack down stem after stem, machete-style, and make as many batches of that pesto as my freezer would hold. With all this pesto flying around I started getting a little creative with The Oh My God what am I going to do with all this pesto!!!!! I was also concerned that it was 4:00 and we were due at a backyard BBQ at 5 and I had yet to make the salad I had promised to bring and there might have been some exasperated sighs directed at my children when it dawned on me that if I took some of that pesto and made it into salad dressing all my problems would be solved.
I made the dressing, went to the party, came home, gave the kids a bath, put them to bed, collapsed into my pillows, and wondered why I never read any more, honestly! Maybe someday, in the meantime I’ll be dreaming up new ways to use cilantro-pepita pesto.
Like on steamed green beans
Or avocado toast with green beans, red onion, and sweet cumin radish pickles. It happened.

Cilantro Pesto Vinaigrette
Toss your summer salads with this cilantro pesto vinaigrette made with homemade cilantro pesto, lemon juice, olive oil and shallots. Dairy free!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cilantro pesto
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine pesto, shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 141Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 264mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
One More Thing
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Oh, this is really delicious ! You’re right – it tastes great on everything! Was so tired of pesto and we have sooooo much basil!Thank you
This cilantro pesto gives a kick to just about anything!