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    Sneaky Kale Pesto

    July 25, 2019 by Denise Bustard 36 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Condiments / Sneaky Kale Pesto

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This 'sneaky' kale pesto is ready in 5 minutes and surprisingly, does not taste like kale! This pesto works great to add a little boost of greens on pasta, a sandwich, or as a salad dressing. 

    Kale pesto. It's a thing, people, and a very glorious one at that!

    close up shot of spoon with kale pesto on it

    If this kale pesto recipe looks familiar, that's because it was originally published waaaaay back in the fall of 2014.  If you remember it, then wow! 👏 Can I give you a hug for sticking around after all these years?

    I have retested and improved this recipe to make it easier and tastier, and am excited to discuss!

    Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

    Reasons you'll love this kale pesto

    • it doesn't really taste like kale (thank you parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice!), so it 'sneaks' some extra kale into your life 😉
    • it can be ready in 5 minutes
    • you can freeze leftovers, so it's perfect for stocking yo freezer when kale is in season

    Recipe video

    Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this pesto recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

    ingredients for kale pesto recipe on cutting board

    Ingredients you'll need

    • kale (2 cups, packed; use any type of kale!)
    • parmesan cheese (½ cup freshly grated)
    • pine nuts (½ cup; swap with almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or pretty much any nut or seed)
    • garlic (minced)
    • salt
    • lemon juice (½ a lemon)
    • olive oil (¼ cup, reserve for drizzling into the processor as it blends)

    overhead view of kale pesto in food processor (before) overhead view of kale pesto in food processor (after)

    Let's make pesto!

    1. first, pulse the kale so it's in small bits
    2. add the other ingredients (except for olive oil)
    3. blend, drizzling oil through the chute until everything is nice and blended up
    4. scrape down sides if needed and blend again

    kale pesto recipe in jar with spoon

    Looking for ways to use it?

    • on pasta- toss it up with some fresh cherry tomatoes and Perfect Grilled Chicken Breast and you've got yourself a delicious summery dinner
    • on a sandwich- swap out mayo or other condiments for this kale pesto recipe. It would be great on these Healthy Chicken Quesadillas as well!
    • as a salad dressing- use it on pasta salad (I bet it would work well on this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad) or on quinoa salad (like this Charred Corn Salad)
    • on pizza- slather it on your pizza base in place of tomato sauce!
    • on salmon- smear it over your salmon after cooking. See my fail proof method for How to Cook Salmon here!

    close up shot of kale pesto pasta

    Tips & equipment

    • I used this salad spinner
    • here's my favorite (very basic) food processor
    • looking for more pesto recipes? Check out this Broccoli Pesto, Pistachio Mint Pesto and Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto
    Close up shot of spoonful of healthy kale pesto
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Secretly Healthy Kale Pesto

    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Italian
    Calories: 75kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 1 cup
    This 'secretly healthy' kale pesto is ready in 5 minutes and surprisingly, does not taste like kale! This pesto works great to add a little boost of greens on pasta, a sandwich, or as a salad dressing. 
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time0 mins
    Total Time5 mins

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups kale (packed firmly; do not include stems)
    • ¼ cup pine nuts
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
    • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
    • ½ lemon (juiced; roughly 1.5 tablespoons)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup olive oil

    Instructions

    • In the base of a 7 cup food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the kale. Pulse or process on low until all the kale is chopped up into small bits.
    • Add the pine nuts, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt.
    • Process on low, slowly drizzling the olive oil through the chute.
    • Stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor if necessary, and re-blend.

    Storage

    • Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
    • Freeze in an air tight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze in ice cube trays, pop them out when frozen, and store in a reusable silicone bag or meal prep container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 10.4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

     

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

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    Hi, I'm Denise

    Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too!

    Read more about it here!

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