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How to Make the Garlic Pesto Burger Recipe

If you’re a pro at making your own pesto, you’ll love this recipe.

By Vox Creative
This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.

This burger slathered in a plant-based garlic scape pesto celebrates the limited produce available early in the summer and is perfect served cold or room temperature so you can take along to your next picnic in the park.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients:

4 Lightlife Plant-Based Burgers

4 garlic scapes, rough ends removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

3–4 pinches salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 baguette

½ cup plant-based garlic scape pesto, recipe below

12–16 slices pickled radish (see recipe for Quick Mexican Pickled Vegetables)


Directions:

  1. Heat your grill. Drizzle the garlic scapes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and cool.
  2. Grill the Lightlife Burgers according to package instructions. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
  3. Slice the baguette lengthwise down the middle. Spread the garlic scape pesto evenly on the baguette. Layer the pickled radishes across the baguette.
  4. Cut the burger patties in half. Roughly chop the grilled garlic scapes into bite-sized pieces. Arrange the burger halves and the grilled garlic scapes in the baguette. Cut the baguette into 4–8 pieces.

Plant-Based Garlic Scape Pesto

Makes 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

⅓ cup walnuts

3 garlic scapes, roughly chopped

1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only, stems removed and discarded (about 1 ½ cups loosely packed)

1–2 tablespoons miso paste

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Zest from 1 lemon, about 2 teaspoons

⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a small sauté pan on medium-high heat or on a baking sheet in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, toast the nuts until lightly browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
  2. Add the nuts, garlic scapes, and basil leaves to the food processor and purée until ground, evenly sized, and well combined. Scrape down the sides. Add miso paste.
  3. Replace the lid, and then process again while streaming (slowly pouring) the olive oil into the hole in the food processor lid. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper at the end to taste and process again until evenly incorporated. This pesto will be fairly chunky and perfect for spreading on a sandwich or burger. If you want to thin it for pasta, incorporate up to ¼ cup more oil.

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