Over the years, fresh wasabi rhizome has become one of my favorite raw food ingredients. I love its taste and versatility.
Fresh real wasabi wasabi (Wasabia japonica) is a rarity where I live but luckily, I can order it online. I also grow wasabi greens in spring. I use the younger leaves in salads, and the older ones mostly in my pesto recipes.
You might be able to find fresh wasabi rhizome in Japanese grocery stores. Wasabi growing farms in the United States, Island or Poland also sell wasabi greens and wasabi flowers when they are in season.
In my pesto recipe I used fresh wasabi greens, fresh basil and just a touch of fresh mint. I added more nuts than I usually add into a pesto.
Ingredients:
for the pesto
- 1 1/2 inch long fresh wasabi rhizome
- 1 cup fresh wasabi greens, packed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/8 fresh mint leaves, packed
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 virgin olive oil, add more if needed
- 1 cup raw pistachio nuts
- tiny pinch Celtic sea salt
for the "pasta"
1 medium large beet per person
Method:
- Remove the outer peel from the wasabi rhizome and grate on a special wasabi grater. Set the grated wasabi aside and allow it to develop its typical sharpness.
- In a food processor roughly crush pistachio nuts. Add greens and lime juice, and blend into a thick mass. Add olive oil, grated wasabi and a tiny pinch of salt, and blend again. You should obtain a thick and slightly chunky pesto.
- Wash and peel the beets. Make "pasta" using a spiralizer or a julienne peeler.
- In a large bowl combine the spiralized beets with half of the pesto. Gently mix making sure that beets are well coated.
- Portion out the pasta. Garnish with a scoop of wasabi pesto and fresh wasabi greens. Serve as an appetizer or a main course. Enjoy in good company!
Tip: This pesto can be used as a dipping sauce or as a base for a raw soup or a salad dressing. As I wrote above, fresh wasabi rhizome is rather difficult to obtain. You can substitute it with a powdered real wasabi. Make sure the powder is made of real Wasabia japonica rhizome, and is additives free. To spice your pesto with the wasabi powder you will have to use your own judgment. Add a small amount at first and increase as needed. If possible, avoid using the popular "wasabi" condiment that is normally served in sushi bars. The green paste is made of horse radish and a few other ingredients. If you have to use the paste, make sure it contains only the grated real wasabi rhizome. Fresh wasabi leaves are even more difficult to obtain. You can grow the plants in a semi-aquatic culture, but if this is not possible, you can use baby spinach as a substitute.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2023
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