No need to wait for the summer time for basil to back in season – just swap out basil for kale, almonds for pine nuts to make this simple, yet delicious kale pesto!

Paleo Vegan Kale Pesto

Pesto is one of those things that I never grow tired of. That being said, I like to switch up the base ingredients every so often with what’s in season and available in the store.

The main points of deviation here are the use of kale instead of basil and nutritional yeast which gives off a ‘cheesy’ taste that you’d normally get from parmesan. Just throw everything in a blender and blend away. All you need is about five minutes and you’re all set. Then proceed to put this in – and on – everything in sight and devour!

Hope you enjoy!

Recipe

Easy Kale Pesto

Yield: about 1 1/4 cup Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes

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Swap out basil for kale, almonds for pine nuts and parmesan for nutritional yeast to make this simple, yet delicious kale pesto!

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, hard stems removed (about 5 cups loosely packed | 170g)
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• ¾ cup almonds, roasted or unroasted (100g)
• ½ cup nutritional yeast (60g) - add more for a more cheesy flavor
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15ml)
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (80ml)

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Add kale, garlic, almonds, nutritional yeast salt and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Pulse in 5-10 second intervals for about a minute or so to break the kale into a chunky looking mixture. Scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure everything gets evenly mixed.
2. With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil through the feed tube/hole. Blend until you reach a desired consistency. Add a bit more oil if you prefer a looser consistency.
3. Taste and season with additional salt and/or lemon if needed then enjoy.
4. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Use fresh pesto as desired or transfer to an airtight container for later.

Notes

• Kale Type: Any kale variety will work. I typically use curly leaf kale or cavolo nero kale depending on what I can get in store.
• Tip: Don't be afraid to add more salt (a little bit at a time) to adjust the flavor. Kale can be quite bitter at first and salt really helps to tone that down. Nutritional yeast is another great way to increase the savory flavor & reduce bitterness.
• Cheese: You can easily swap the nutritional yeast for parmesan 4 tbsp grated papemesan cheese (more or less as you like).
• Store it: Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge up to 1 week.
• Freeze it: Pour leftover pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Once frozen, pop out of the tray and transfer to a freezer safe storage bag or container and keep frozen up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 10

Serving Size:

2 tbsp Calories: 124Saturated Fat: 1gSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gProtein: 3g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Sauces & Condiments Cuisine: Italian