Ever since discovering Hibiscus Sabdariffa I have loved it for all the ways it can be enjoyed. For one, it is a beautiful annual plant that is easily grown in the heat of Summer in Arizona, which is saying quite a lot. It can grow to be 4 feet by 4 feet, so give it some room. Plant them as landscape plants or just in the garden. You won’t be disappointed. The flowers are lovely and abundant and then the gorgeous calyces show up like ornaments at the end. The best part about growing Hibiscus Sabdariffa is that you can harvest and eat from it the whole summer.
Eating Hibiscus Leaves
Most people grow Hibiscus Sabdariffa only for its end product: those gorgeous red calyces or seed pods at the end of the season. If you have ever had hibiscus tea (think Red Zinger) then you have had Hibiscus Sabdariffa. Check out its incredible benefits researched by Dr. Axe here. But did you know that the leaves of this plant are deliciously lemony? It’s true! Just take a bite and you’ll be convinced that there is much more to take advantage with this beauty. Eat them in a salad, cook them as you would any other green with garlic and olive oil, or in pretty much any recipe that calls for spinach or kale. You can even juice them for a yummy boost of chlorophyl and other nutrients. Once you get started you’ll be making more space for these babies in your garden and landscape because it offers so much bang for your buck.
Let’s start you off with a very simple and fresh way to eat these leaves: PESTO!! This is a no-cook recipe, but when added to hot pasta, the lemon flavor really is accentuated. Try it that way and then go crazy with any number of ways to add this to your meals: think crostini, pasta salad, omlets, and avocado toast to name a few. Oh! how about with sundried tomatoes and goat cheese!!! Ummm yes!!
But for now, let’s make some pesto!
Making the Pesto
To make pesto you only need a few ingredients and a food processor. You can use a blender but the pesto will be more like a puree. Take a minute and just look at those ingredients. Each one of them offers more than just nutrients. They also boost your immune system, feed your gut biome, and provide medicinal solutions to things like arthritis and other inflammation disorders. I like to look the up individual components to recipes on other websites like Dr. Axe or WebMD to further enhance my eating enjoyment… but maybe I’m just weird that way.
The first thing you need to do is to pick about two big handfuls of hibiscus leaves without the stem and rinse in cool water. -Make sure to dump that water on a plant and not down the drain.
Once the leaves are clean and drained, roll them up, slice and chop them so they fit better in the food processor.
Chiffonade leaves 
Roll up leaves 
Chop slices again
Finally, place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until everything is a fine consistency but not a smooth puree. You can store this in a container to use for all kinds of things. My favorite way to eat this pesto is on pasta with plenty of parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. I usually add the cheese when I process, but this is a vegan recipe, so adding cheese is optional.
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Pesto with Pasta
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 Handfulls Stemless Hibiscus Sabdariffa leaves
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/3 Cup Walnuts or Sunflower seeds
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (optional) or 1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Wash and drain Hibiscus leaves
- 2. Roll and chop leaves to fit into the food processor
- 3. Add All ingredients to the food processor and pulse until a fine consistency but not pureed.
- 4. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Growing Hibiscus is fun because you can use it in so many ways. For more Hibiscus Recipes click HERE.
