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Home » Recipes » Dairy Free

Kale Pesto

By Erin · March 22, 2021 · Updated September 26, 2021 · 2 Comments

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bowl of pesto and ingredients in a food processor

Kale Pesto is the ultimate sauce. It's made with kale, fresh basil, pine nuts, and of course garlic and pairs perfectly with pasta or pizza. It's so creamy, plus it's vegan-friendly!

bowl of pesto with a spoon in it

This kale pesto might be my favorite yet!

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of all pesto, like this almond pesto and of course my sun-dried tomato pesto, but kale pesto is probably the best way to use up kale.

It's creamy, dreamy, packed with garlicky, basil/kale flavor, and ready in 5 minutes! Oh, and did I mention it pairs perfectly with pasta (you must try my kale pesto pasta).

Recipe features

  • The BEST way to utilize kale, especially if you have a little that you need to use up
  • Pairs well with pasta, pizza or on top of a burger
  • Made in a food processor, and ready in 5 minutes!

Ingredient notes:

Kale: I used curly kale, but lacinato works too; make sure to remove the stems before adding it to your food processor

Basil: Fresh! No substitutions.

Garlic: The recipe calls for 2 garlic cloves, and if you can, I'd use two large garlic cloves -- because who doesn't love a garlicky pesto?!

Olive oil: No substitution; olive oil is a KEY ingredient in any good pesto recipe. Can you technically use avocado oil instead? Yes, but it won't taste the same.

Pine nuts: You can use any nuts you have on hand; pine nuts make this pesto very creamy, but they can be on the pricier side, so if you want to use almonds or walnuts instead you can.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Add the kale, basil, garlic, and pine nuts to your food processor and pulse for 10 seconds or so.

kale, basil and garlic in a food processor

Step 2: With the motor still running, pour the olive oil in through the top and pulse for 10-15 seconds. Then, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until pesto forms (you'll probably need between 2-4 tablespoons).

blended pesto sauce in a food processor

Step 3: Taste test, then add salt as needed (¼-1/2 teaspoon), along with lemon juice if you prefer. Enjoy!

FAQs

Can I use a blender instead?

If you want to use a blender, I'd use a small-sized blender, like a NutriBullet.

Do I have to use kale and/or pine nuts?

No, but both of those ingredients are what make this kale pesto, well, kale pesto. If you want to substitute them, you may want to try my almond pesto instead.

Storage

  • Refrigerator: Store pesto in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Freezer: Freezing pesto is very common and easy to do. Spoon pesto into an ice cube try, then store it that way in the freezer for up to 3 months. The Harvest Kitchen wrote a great article on how to freeze pesto.
bowl of pesto drizzled with olive oil

More delicious kale recipes:

  • One Pot Gnocchi with Kale
  • Grilled Corn Kale Salad
  • Easy Kale Smoothie

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

bowl of pesto with a spoon in it

Kale Pesto

Kale Pesto is the ultimate sauce. It's made with kale, fresh basil, pine nuts, and of course garlic and pairs perfectly with pasta or pizza. It's so creamy, plus it's vegan-friendly!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 6 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 cup kale stems removed
  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon water or more
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional

Instructions

  • Add the garlic, pine nuts, kale, and basil to your food processor and pulse for 10 seconds.
  • Then, with the motor still running, pour the olive oil in through the top and pulse for 10 seconds. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until pesto forms (you will need between 2-4 tablespoon total). Taste test, then add salt. Last, add the lemon juice (optional). Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation; serving size is 4-8 
*Storage: store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; or, store in the freezer for up to 3 months 

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1541IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathleen @aveganfeast says

    March 25, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    I've been looking for recipes for kale, other than the usual salad! Can't wait to give this a go. I presume I can swap out the pine nuts for cashews etc?

    Kathleen @aveganfeast

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 25, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      Yes! You may want to soak the cashews ahead of time so they blend more easily. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

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