Low Carb Chicken Pesto
Every year our basil plants do so well that we can’t use it up fast enough. What to do? Basil pesto of course! Pesto pasta’s are always a favourite, but I love this Low Carb Chicken Pesto recipe for a healthy low carb alternative! Juicy slices of chicken breast served with tasty pesto, this pairs well with buttery boiled sweet potatoes and fresh veggies. Poaching chicken delivers tender, moist fillets, but works best with a free-range chicken and don’t cook it above a simmer. Aaaand Pesto! (get it?..instead of presto?) You have a delicious and easy lunch!
What Exactly Is Pesto?
Pesto, which means “to crush” is a tasty italian sauce that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, pine nuts, course salt, fresh basil leaves and a hard cheese, all blended with olive oil. You can definitely make it your own and stray from tradition without taking away the strong basil flavouring from this condiment. If it’s not basil season, you can aways buy pesto straight from the store, but if you’d like to make your own this recipe is a great one!
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water
- store bought pesto (or make your own!)
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 tbsp of lemon rind
- 2 baby fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered
- 400 g chicken breast fillets
- 8 baby (Dutch) carrots, trimmed
- 3 parsnips, peeled and quartered
- 1⁄2 cup baby green beans, topped
- 400 g sweet potato
Method
- Preheat oven to 200c. Peel the sweet potato and cut into cubes. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Roast the sweet potato until soft and golden brown, approximately 30-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place water in a large deep fry pan with wine, bay leaf, thyme, lemon rind and fennel. Bring to boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Remove fennel and set aside.
- Add chicken to the water and poach, uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Add carrots and parsnips to water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans and cook for a further minute. Return fennel to water to warm through.
- Remove the sweet potato from the oven. Divide vegetables among serving bowls and spoon over a little of the cooking water. Top with chicken breasts and a dollop of pesto. Serve and enjoy!
What Should I Serve With My Chicken Pesto?
If you’re looking to keep it healthy, italian salad, sauteed spinich or zoodles are great alternatives. If you’re looking for a more “carby” side to your Chicken Pesto, rice, smashed potatoes or bread rolls work well. For more side suggestions follow this link.