I made Celery Leaf Pesto because I spend a lot of time at home these days. My duties as a caregiver for my MIL mean I often have hours on my hands where I have nothing much to do. However, I need to be able to drop whatever I’m doing at a moment’s notice. So I’m always looking for tasks that can be stopped and started at that same moment’s notice.
Things like Celery Leaf Pesto can keep my hands busy but allow me to keep my mind on my responsibilities.
Celery Leaf Pesto
That’s because Celery Leaf Pesto requires no great skill. It does, however, require you to sit in one place and remove the leaves individually from stalks of celery. Much like shucking beans it can be a bore if you let it. So I try not to let it. I have a fabulous interior life…
Of course, if you say the word pesto it won’t be long before an Italian food connoisseur in your exterior life will declare the basil-centric pesto alla Genovese as the only true pesto. But don’t worry because the name pesto is derived from the Italian word pestare (to pound or crush). So as long as you can pound it or crush it then I say – there is no such thing as the one true pesto. Because pesto can be unexpected. It can be creative. It can be made with celery leaves that have been patiently plucked one-by-one until you have a great big delicious pile. GREG
PS: It doesn’t have to be served with pasta either. You can serve pesto on (or in) anything.
Print This RecipeTotal timeYield4Source Inspired by Nancy SilvertonPublished
Use the pesto immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days — any longer and it will lose its pretty green color and vibrant flavor.
Ingredients
1 tablespoontoasted pine nuts
1 clovegarlic(peeled and chopped)
1/8 teaspoonkosher salt
½ cupextra-virgin olive oil(plus more if needed)
¼ ounceflat-leaf parsley
2 ouncecelery leaves(light green leaves are best, divided)
1–2 tablespoongrated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 poundcooked chicken breast(about ounces, cut into 3/4‑inch dice)
1 poundfresh jicama(cut into 3/4‑inch dice)
3 stalks celery(cut into ¼‑inch slices on an extreme bias)
4 scallions(cut into ¼‑inch slices on an extreme bias, both white and green parts)
8 ounceburrata(optional)
3–4 fresh sprigs tarragon(leaves only)
whole lettuce leaves(for serving, optional)
Directions
To make the celery pesto: Combine the pine nuts, garlic, salt, and about half of the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the parsley and pulse until it is finely chopped. Turn off the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add about two-thirds of the celery leaves, the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining olive oil and purée, stopping as soon as the ingredients form a homogenous, but not too smooth paste, and adding more olive oil if necessary to obtain a loose, spoonable pesto. Cover and set aside. (see notes).
To assemble the salad: Combine diced chicken, diced jicama, sliced celery, and sliced scallions in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2–3 tablespoons celery pesto (or more to taste). Toss to combine.
Pile the salad in the center of a large serving plate. If you are using burrata, nestle it in the center of the salad. Use the back of a spoon to create a shallow crater in the center and spoon more pesto into the crater. Garnish with remaining celery leaves and tarragon leaves, and serve it “taco-style” wrapped in lettuce leaves, if you like.
I always buy the celery with the most leaves, they add so much flavor to dishes. A celery pesto sounds amazing! So swooning over this chicken and jicama salad!
My farmer’s market celery is full of leaves that I usually juice, but now, I am going to make pesto.
I just used the last of my Spanish pine nuts so sadly this intriguing recipe must wait until I return to Spain early next year. Most of the pine nuts sold here are from China and there have been horror stories about them so I refuse to buy them or even eat them! Yes indeed, we do have the gorgeous Italian stuff but at a price that is totally unaffordable.
The dish looks wonderfully refreshing. I just love the bright colour. And that burrata! This is definitely a gorgeous summer meal.
Greg, I love experimenting with different greens for pesto and this sounds interesting and delicious. I think I’d love it on a toasted baguette.
From experience, I know how much emotional and psychical energy goes into caregiving. I can’t think of much that’s more difficult. You’re amazing to be there.
It’s nice you can have mini (delicious) escapes into your kitchen. ~Valentina
i have tried this recipe before and it comes out to be the bestest one. I’m going to make this again this weekend thanks for sharing such good recipe 🙂
Well just when I thought I’d made every variety of pesto possible! This is certainly a new one. Brilliant. And, I love the salad you created. Chicken, jicama, burrata, and pesto. Truly brilliant.
I’m on your side, Greg. I made pesto out of all sorts of things. I’ve never made it from celery leaves, though! How does it taste? Does it have bitter notes?
Being one of those who loves Italian food, I am the first to say that pesto can be made of anything! (Almost… buttons make terrible pesto…) Celery leaves are getting harder to find these days, as many purveyors trim the stalks for you, thinking they are doing you a favor! Not. Can’t wait to try this!
It’s true about aggressive celery trimming. My farmers market is a blessed exception. But the big chain stores whittle the stalks down to almost nothing! GREG
Celery is definitely an underused vegetable but you have really made it shine with your salad.
Anything someone wants to call pesto is good in my book. And in my book, this is an excellent dish. Haven’t had a celery leaf pesto, and I really like the idea. Good thing my inner life is pretty rich, too. 🙂