Fennel Frond Pesto

Name: Fennel Frond Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 360 ml
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 150 g Fennel Frond; 12 g Garlic; 120 ml Pumpkin Seeds; 5 g Salt; 240 ml Olive Oil; 50 g Parmesan

Independent adaptation of a publicly published Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Hetty Lui McKinnon.

Pesto from a national-award-winning chef.

Ratio

Pumpkin Seeds 120 mlOlive Oil 240 ml

Ingredients

Fennel Frond — 150 g
Garlic — 12 g
Pumpkin Seeds — 120 ml
Salt — 5 g
Olive Oil — 240 ml
Parmesan — 50 g

Method

This sauce needs a blender — the jar is for storing it, not making it.
Combine measured ingredients and blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust salt and acid.

Provenance

Hetty Lui McKinnon is a cookbook author working in Chinese-Australian / vegetarian; recognized with James Beard Book Award: Vegetable-Focused Cooking 2024 (Tenderheart).

Adapted from a recipe published by Hetty Lui McKinnon in Tenderheart (Knopf 2023) via To Vegetables With Love (author's Substack).

FAQ

Can this go in a shake jar?

No — this one needs a blender or stove, so make it from this page. Jars only carry pour-and-shake sauces.

What do the quantities mean?

Amounts in the ingredient list are from the published source, converted to ml and grams where the ingredient allows. On a jar, every sauce scales to the same fill height.

Where did this recipe come from?

Adapted from Tenderheart (Knopf 2023) via To Vegetables With Love (author's Substack) (published as “Fennel Frond Pesto”). Full citation lives in Provenance.