The first time I had kale pesto was at a small Italian restaurant in Brooklyn while visiting a friend. Pesto is one of my favorite sauces and I was intrigued by the idea of a kale-based version. Suffice it to say, I was not disappointed and I knew I wanted to recreate it myself. This kale pesto recipe has since become something I make regularly because it’s easy, flavorful, and nourishing.
Jump to Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a delicious way to add more greens to your diet. Dark leafy greens, like kale, are incredibly nutrient-dense and in season in the winter months.
- It’s simple and super adaptable. You can easily tweak it depending on what you have on hand, as well as your taste preferences.
- It’s incredibly versatile. Use it in pasta, pizza, sandwiches, grain bowls, or in salad dressings.
- It freezes beautifully. Having this in the freezer makes dinner a breeze.
How To Make Kale Pesto
Traditional pesto is made using basil. So I’m not totally sure this still technically qualifies as “pesto”. But it is delicious and definitely has the same “vibes” as pesto, which is good enough for me.
Plus, it freezes perfectly. I love having extra kale pesto in the freezer ready to turn a last-minute pasta dinner into something that feels special.
The Ingredients
To make this kale pesto, you’ll need…
- Kale
- Raw, unsalted pistachios
- Parmesan cheese
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Pretty straightforward, right? That’s the beauty of pesto. Just a few basic ingredients that come together to create something pretty amazing.
The Method
To make the kale pesto, I like to start by blanching the kale. It brightens it up, prevents it from browning, and helps make it a bit easier to digest. But it is an extra step that, technically, can be skipped if you just can’t be bothered.
Roughly chop the kale and then blanch it for just 1 minute in boiling water. Transfer the kale to a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. You’ll likely need to do this in a couple of batched.
Once the kale is blanched, drain it from the ice bath and place it in a large cotton tea towel or between several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much of the water as possible. Do not skip this step or your pesto will be a watery mess.
Place the kale and pistachios in a food processor and pulse several times to roughly chop everything up. Add the parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Blend, scraping down sides as needed, until everything is evenly combined but still a bit chunky.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
Your pesto is done! Use it immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes & Substitutions
- If you want to make this recipe vegan, substitute 2-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
- Depending on your feelings about garlic, you can decrease or increase the amount. I really like garlic, so I often add an extra clove. But if you aren’t such a big fan, drop it down to just one clove to temper the flavor a bit.
- I love the flavor of pistachios in this kale pesto. But you could use basically any kind of nut you like. Walnuts are delicious. Almonds add a subtle sweetness. Or, of course, there’s the classic pine nut. Feel free to use whatever nut is calling to you.
- As I mentioned before, I love to freeze the leftovers. I usually freeze it in a muffin tin so I can easily grab just the number of servings I need. You can also put it in a freezer bag and flatten it out into a thin layer before freezing. That way you can break off as much as you need when you need it.
Ways To Use Kale Pesto
It probably goes without saying, but there are several ways to use this kale pesto. It’s truly an incredibly versatile sauce to have on hand.
- Pasta is probably the most obvious option. It makes a delicious pasta sauce and is a nice change from the classic marinara.
- It’s incredibly on pizza, either in place of the sauce or as a topping.
- Add a small bowl to a charcuterie board or a crudite platter for a unique spin.
- Thin it out with a bit of olive oil and serve it as a dip for bread. I love this as an easy but elegant appetizer.
- Use it as a sandwich spread. It’s delicious on a cold salad and makes a classic grilled cheese out-of-this-world good.
- Top your scrambled eggs with a spoonful of pesto. It’s a match made in heaven.
- Elevate your roasted vegetables or potatoes by tossing them in a couple of tablespoons of this pesto.
- Add a tablespoon to a basic vinaigrette for a quick, flavorful green dressing.
Recommended Products
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
- Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor and Vegetable Chopper
- Microplane Premium Classic Series
- Citrus Juicer
- 12 Pack Flour Sack Tea Towels
Other Posts You May Like…
A Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette That’s Packed With Flavor
Lemon Rosemary Mixed Olive Tapenade
Thyme Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe
Roasted Crispy Fingerling Potatoes with Cilantro Sauce
Lemony Kale Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped, including stems about 6 cups, packed
- ½ cup raw unsalted pistachios
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese*
- Zest and juice from one lemon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½-¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the water is boiling, stir about half of the kale into the pot and let boil for 1 minute to blanch. Remove the kale using tongs or a slotted spoon and place immediately into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Repeat with remaining kale.
- Once all kale has been cooked drain well. Then place the blanched kale in a large cotton tea towel or between several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
- Place the prepared kale into a food processor along with the pistachios. Pulse to roughly chop. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, and pepper into the food processor. Blend until evenly combined but still a bit chunky. Scrape down the sides.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
- Use the pesto sauce immediately or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
