Kale Pesto
A delicious, healthy kale pesto recipe for pasta, sandwiches, grain bowls, and more. Ready in less than 10 minutes and packed with nutrition!
We eat a lot of pesto in my house– it’s one of the few ways my kids love leafy greens and since they would both declare pasta as their favorite food group, it’s a win-win in my dietitian book.
Trader Joe’s Kale and Cashew pesto is one of my go-to buys; we often eat one to two tubs a week! While I love their version, I wanted to try my hand at making my own kale pesto at home.
It’s made with walnuts instead of cashews and likely packs in more kale than their version, but both my kids are happy to gobble this one up, which, as I mentioned, is considered a major win.
The best part about this kale pesto recipe is that it’s ready in less than 10 minutes with just 7 ingredients. It’s vegan as written, but you can also add in some parmesan cheese for a saltier and more umami flavor.
Kale Pesto Recipe Ingredient Notes
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this kale pesto recipe!
I use baby kale for this recipe as I think it tastes more mild than other kale varieties, which is why I like baby kale. You can typically find this in the lettuce section of the refrigerator section. (If you’ve got extra kale, make my easy kale caesar salad!)
Pine nuts are typical in homemade pesto, but they are fairly expensive, so I opted to use walnuts instead of pine nuts. You can use pine nuts, or even cashews for a more similar flavor to the Trader Joe’s version.
I love a hint of lemon in this kale pesto as it cuts though the natural vegetal taste of the kale and don’t recommend skipping it.
How to Make this Kale Pesto (Step-by-Step Photos)
Pulse walnuts
Pulse the walnuts until very finely chopped. You can do this in a food processor or a wide-based blender.
Add the kale
Add in the kale, salt, lemon juice and zest, garlic, then pulse until the kale is very finely broken down.
Add the olive oil
With the motor running, add the olive oil and puree until the kale pesto is creamy. Taste, adding more salt as desired to season.
Store
Place the pesto in an airtight container and refrigerate it. The kale pesto will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
How to Use Kale Pesto
This kale pesto is great on cooked pasta or spread onto sandwiches. I love a pesto sandwich with thinly sliced, cooked tofu and grilled vegetables, like this Italian Panini.
Pesto is also great dolloped onto grain bowls or even salads. To make a kale pesto salad dressing, thin the pesto with more olive oil and lemon juice!
If you try this kale pesto recipe, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
More Sauces and Dressings
- How to Make Hummus
- Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
- The Best Vegan Queso Dip
- Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Salsa Verde
Kale Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts
- 5 ounces baby kale, about 4 cups
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast for 2-3 minutes until just warmed through and lightly toasted, taking care not to brown.
- Place the walnuts in the base of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
- Add the kale, garlic, lemon juice, zest, and salt to the walnuts and pulse again until the kale is broken down.
- With the motor running, add the olive oil and puree until creamy and smooth. Taste and add more salt as desired.