Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto

With a rich, garlicky flavor and thick, spreadable texture, this Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto is a great springtime addition to all your favorite foods.

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Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto - Domestic Dreamboat #pesto #wildramps #glutenfree #vegetarian

What are Wild Ramps?

If you've never had ramps before, they look a bit like a scallion, but with a pinkish stalk, and leafier top. The flavor of them is a bit of a garlic-onion combo, leaning heavier on garlic. They grow in the Eastern US and Canada, with their harvest season occurring in the spring.

Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto - Domestic Dreamboat #pesto #wildramps #glutenfree #vegetarian

I had never had wild ramps before I moved to Wisconsin 6 years ago. To be honest, I don't think I had ever even heard of them. They just don't grow where I lived before. So when I started getting ramps with my CSA every spring, I had to figure out what to do with this unfamiliar ingredient.

I tried a few different dishes that used ramps: I put them in frittatas, on pizza, and simply grilled, as a side dish. They were all fine, but when I got around to making Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto, I pretty much stopped experimenting with other ramp recipes. I have made 3 batches of it so far this year!

Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto - Domestic Dreamboat #pesto #wildramps #glutenfree #vegetarian

You can use this pesto as you would use any other. Serving it with pasta is certainly a good choice, but I also like it as a vegetable dip, spread on crackers, or as a sandwich spread. But I've most often been eating it spread on crusty toast with a fried egg on top. There are days in the past week that I've eaten it for 2 meals a day!

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Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto Nutrition Notes:

Most of the calories in this pesto come from heart-healthy fats from the walnuts and olive oil, but some are saturated fats from the Parmesan. I don't recommend altering this recipe as it may negatively affect the flavor.

Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto

5 from 1 vote
Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto - Domestic Dreamboat #pesto #wildramps #glutenfree #vegetarian
With a rich, garlicky flavor and thick, spreadable texture, this Wild Ramp and Swiss Chard Pesto is a great springtime addition to all your favorite foods.
Servings: 8
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Calories: 110
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 4 ounces Swiss chard, washed
  • 2 ounces wild ramps, cleaned, root ends trimmed
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
 

  1. Toast walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and cool.
  2. Coarsely chop the Swiss chard leaves and stems and the ramps. Add them both to the bowl of a food processor with the walnuts, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Process until everything is finely chopped, about 10-15 seconds. Slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture forms a thick paste, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. Serve with pasta, as a sandwich spread, as a raw vegetable dip, or in any other way you think might be delicious. One of my favorite ways to eat it is spread on crusty toast with a fried egg on top. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze.

Nutrition

Serving: 2TablespoonsCalories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 260mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

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