Do that Easy Kale Pesto recipe with fresh kale, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan. It is the perfect addition to pasta dishes, as a dip or marinade.
Amazingly easy kale pesto
Pesto is such a fun way to flavor pasta, proteins and everything in between. Our classic pesto recipe is hugely popular at Fit Foodie Finds, but we wanted to make a kale pesto that uses kale instead of the more traditional basil. And it’s delicious!
What is pesto?
Pesto is a green sauce that originated in Italy. It is typically made with basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil.
What is pesto made of? Classic pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
There are many variations of pesto including kale pesto like this one, walnut pesto, basil pesto, vegan pesto, etc.
How do you serve pesto? Pesto is often served as a sauce on pasta. It can also be used as a dip, marinade or dressing (check out our Israeli Couscous Salad!).
Kale pesto ingredients
Fresh Kale: Have a ton of extra kale on hand? Kale pesto is the perfect recipe to make sure none of it goes to waste! Be sure to debone your kale for this recipe.
Olive oil: We love the taste of extra virgin olive oil and that’s the main fat in this sauce. Not only does it make it super buttery, but it also helps thin it down and turn it into a sauce.
Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese adds such a delicious, salty, and savory flavor to this Kale Pesto Sauce.
walnuts: Pine nuts are traditionally used in pesto sauce, but we use walnuts in our Kale Pesto. We use ours raw, but you can toast them for a stronger flavor.
Garlic cloves: We saute the garlic to bring out the garlic flavor and create a delicious depth of flavor. You can use raw garlic, but this will change the taste of the pesto.
lemon juice: Lemon juice adds just the right amount of acidity to this sauce. Don’t skip it.
Salt: A little kosher salt brings all of these ingredients together into one incredible sauce. Make sure you start with a little and go from there.
Recommended kitchen appliances
How to Make Kale Pesto
Crush and fry the garlic
Take the bottom of a glass or large chef’s knife and place it on top of each garlic clove and press firmly to crush the garlic clove until flat.
Heat 1.5 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium/high heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant and lightly golden brown.
Place ingredients in food processor
Place the cooked garlic in a high-powered food processor along with the kale, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, walnuts, salt, and remaining olive oil.
pulse ingredients
Pulse ingredients in food processor to mix ingredients, then process all ingredients on high for 2-4 minutes or until ingredients thick and creamy.
Pro Tip: Be sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times during the processing time.
Test for texture
After the pesto has been processed, it should be thick and creamy.
If the pesto is still dry and chunky, add an additional teaspoon or two of olive oil, scrape down the sides, and continue to process until the pesto becomes thick and creamy.
Sometimes, longer processing of the pesto pulls the oil out of the walnuts, giving the pesto more moisture.
Serve & Enjoy!
Serve over pasta, as a sauce on sandwiches, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
ingredient swap
- Kale: Don’t have kale? Try spinach or basil instead.
- walnuts: No walnuts on hand? Try pine nuts, cashews, pecans, or almonds instead.
- Parmesan cheese: hoping to keep this recipe dairy free? Our Vegan Parmesan Cheese is a great substitute.
- Olive oil: Use grapeseed oil instead of olive oil.
How to serve kale pesto
There is no patent recipe for our kale pesto recipe. One of our favorite things about it is that it’s as versatile as you can use it!
Marinade: Pesto makes a great marinade. Try our Pesto chicken skewers.
Salad dressing: Pesto is a great base for salad dressing! Add more olive oil to make it a milder and thinner dressing, or just drizzle on your salad as is. You will love our Israeli Couscous Salad.
Sauce: Need a sauce to top your veggies or protein. This Kale Pesto hits the spot! Try our Pesto Chicken Meal Prep or Mediterranean Salmon.
Dive: Keep it simple and use your pesto as a dip for bread, veggies, or crackers!
Pasta: Mix al dente pasta with pesto and serve like this. You can also check out our Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe for a heartier meal.
Spread: Use it as a spread on sandwiches or flatbread. Check out our Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Sandwich.
Top tips for kale pesto
too thick?
Is your kale pesto a little too thick? Just add a teaspoon of olive oil until diluted.
Too thin?
If it seems a little too thin to you, just add more fresh kale. That should be enough!
Add other herbs
Try adding other fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme to your kale pesto! It adds some depth to your kale pesto.
Storing Kale Pesto
Place your kale pesto in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
How to Freeze Kale Pesto
Freezing kale pesto is so easy and a great way to use up all your fresh kale! That’s how it’s done:
- Pour pesto into an ice cube tray. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of pesto to each ice cube, filling 3/4 full.
- Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until completely frozen.
- Remove the kale pesto ice cubes from the tray, then transfer the frozen cubes to an airtight gallon-sized container or bag.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
Thawing: Simply let the frozen kale pesto sit on the counter for 1 hour, or transfer to a nonstick skillet and thaw on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Easy kale pesto
Do that Easy Kale Pesto recipe with fresh kale, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan. Wonderful in pasta dishes, as a dip or marinade.
Preparation:fifteen protocol
Cook:5 protocol
In total:20 protocol
ingredients
- ⅓ Cup olive oil Cut
- 4 cloves garlic peeled off
- 4 cups chopped kale deboned and packed
- ½ Cup grated parmesan cheese medium rust
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ Cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
instructions
-
Take the bottom of a glass or large chef’s knife and place it on top of each garlic clove and press firmly to crush the garlic clove until flat.
-
Heat 1.5 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and lightly golden brown.
-
Place the cooked garlic in a high-powered food processor along with the kale, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, walnuts, salt, and remaining olive oil.
-
Pulse ingredients in food processor to mix ingredients, then process all ingredients on high for 2-4 minutes or until ingredients thick and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times during the processing time.
-
After the pesto has been processed, it should be thick and creamy. If the pesto is still dry and chunky, add an additional teaspoon or two of olive oil, scrape down the sides, and continue to process until the pesto becomes thick and creamy. Sometimes, longer processing of the pesto pulls the oil out of the walnuts, giving the pesto more moisture.
-
Serve over pasta, as a sauce on sandwiches, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Tips & Hints
- This recipe makes about 3/4 cup pesto.
- This isn’t a drippy pesto, it’s a thicker pesto sauce. If you would like a moister pesto, add 1-2 teaspoons of water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- We saute the garlic to bring out the garlic flavor and create a delicious depth of flavor.
- You can use raw garlic, but this will change the taste of the pesto.
- If you want a “creamy” pesto, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of cream.
- If you don’t have walnuts, you can use almonds or pistachios.
- This pesto must be consumed within 5 days if refrigerated. To stretch the pesto, scoop the pesto into an ice tray and freeze, preferably for 1-2 hours. Remove the pesto cubes from the ice tray and store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
nutritional information
Calories: 169kcal Carbohydrates: 4G Protein: 4G Fat: 16G Fiber: 2G Sugar: 1G