Best Kale Pesto Recipe (Video) How To Make Pesto

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5 stars (3 reviews)

5 minutes mins

Posted by Sommer Collier on Dec 28, 2015 (last updated Sep 23, 2020)

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How To Make Pesto: Easy 5-Ingredient Kale Pesto Recipe, a quick 5 Minute Fix perfect to serve as a healthy dip or tossed with pasta for a simple meal!

Happy New Year!!

I realize the big day is still a couple of days away, and you may have plans to pack in all your favorite naughty foods before the year officially ends.

However, I wanted to throw out my very first healthy recipe for 2016 so you have something to look forward to, other than the hope of skinny legs by spring.

Of all the pesto recipes I’ve made over the years, this simple 5-Ingredient Kale Pesto Recipe is high on the list. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals from fresh green kale, along with healthy fats. That makes this pesto decadent enough to taste like a comfort food, yet fabulousfor a low carb or vegetarian diet.

In fact, you could even omit the parmesan cheese, substituting chopped cashews in its place, to make a “paleo” and “vegan” version of this kale pesto recipe!

That makes it 5-Ingredient, 5-Minute, and 5 Stars, in my opinion.

How To Make Pesto

Simply place chopped kale, chopped walnuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor.
Pulse to combine.
Then salt and pepper to taste.

Voila!

Best Kale Pesto Recipe

You can use this kale pesto recipe as a party dip for New Year’s Eve, if you’re as excited about it as I am.

Or use it in the coming weeks as a spread forsandwiches, tossed into salads, and even tossed with hot whole grain (or gluten free) pasta for a quick healthy meal.

If you were ever going to get your kids to enjoy kale, this is the way to do it.

See? There is something healthy that you can look forward to in 2016.

Cleaning up your diet won’t be so bad this month… I’m on your side. We’llbe offering up tasty guilt-free dishes all month.

Plus, a few naughty ones for you rebels and super bowl party planners. *wink*

Check out our recipe card below!

Print Recipe

5 stars (3 reviews)

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Kale Pesto Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Easy 5-Ingredient 5-Minute Kale Pesto Recipe! Fresh, healthy, and packed with flavor. Use this homemade pesto recipe as a dip, spread, or toss it with pasta.

Servings: 10

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

4 cups chopped kale leaves, stems removed
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (substitute chopped cashews for paleo and vegan)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a large food processor. Pulse to fully combine.
If the mixture is clumpy, add 2-4 tablespoons of water and pulse again. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 171mg, Potassium: 179mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 2755IU, Vitamin C: 32.4mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 0.8mg

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

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5 Minute Fix Condiments Gluten Free Healthy Recipes How To Mediterranean Diet Plant-Based Vegetarian Whole FoodsCheese garlic kale parmesan walnuts

28 comments Leave a comment »

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28 comments on “Kale Pesto Recipe”

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Loretta Parsons @Kitchen Folks — January 10, 2019 @ 4:42 am Reply
Hey Sommer, such a great recipe you had shared. Sometimes i thought why i couldn’t be so creative while cooking. :( Thanks for sharing this.The kale pesto is looking perfect.your tips will help me to make that correctly.keep posting this type of recipes. :)
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Barbara Alfeo — February 11, 2018 @ 11:49 pm Reply
I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
- Sommer — February 14, 2018 @ 11:04 am Reply
  Hi Barbara, Absolutely! :)
Stephanie — June 14, 2017 @ 6:27 am Reply
Hi, I was wondering if you need to massage the kale beforehand (to remove bitterness)? I’ve never worked with kale, but I’ve heard that that’s a step a lot of people take. Thanks
- Sommer — June 17, 2017 @ 9:28 am Reply
  Hi Stephanie!
  I do massage kale for salads, to soften the texture, but in this case its unnecessary.
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Kathie — August 29, 2016 @ 6:47 pm Reply
I grew up with homemade basil pesto. Our kale is growing amazing trying to find a way to preserve some. Wondering if you can water bath can the Kale Pesto?
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Karly — January 19, 2016 @ 8:37 am Reply
I made this recipe and I can’t stop eating it!!! That being said, any idea of the the calories and nutrition facts are???
- Sommer — January 22, 2016 @ 1:03 pm Reply
  Hey Karly! We don’t provide nutritional facts because most of the tools we’ve found vary so much, it would be hard to give you honest information. However to give you a rough estimate, the “My Fitness Pal” app says that Homemade Kale Pesto is 40 calories and 3 grams fat per tablespoon.
Rachel — January 7, 2016 @ 8:46 pm Reply
This was very good! I made some Garlic/parmesian made a sauce in the pan with reg. almond milk then added a large spoon full of pesto. I then poured that over my spiralized medley of Zucchini, yellow squash and butternut noodle squash , and boy was that delicious!
Leah — January 5, 2016 @ 11:57 am Reply
Any substitution ideas for the walnuts? We have a peanut/tree nut allergy in our family.
- Kathy — January 6, 2016 @ 10:04 am Reply
  Pine nuts are a traditional ingredient in pesto. I have just read an article about sunflower seeds that mentioned them being used in pesto as an inexpensive substitute for pine nuts.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife — December 29, 2015 @ 3:17 pm Reply
ooo This is fantastic! I couldn’t leave out that parmesan cheese though! haha I would miss it too much! can’t wait to try this over some fresh pasta!
Megan {Country Cleaver} — December 29, 2015 @ 10:29 am Reply
I’ve never made kale pesto before – and I forget how versatile it is!
Gaby Dalkin — December 28, 2015 @ 12:16 pm Reply
kale pesto is the best! Love it as a way to sneak kale into lunches and dinners
Kevin @ Closet Cooking — December 28, 2015 @ 12:04 pm Reply
So simple, healthy and tasty!
alison @ Ingredients, Inc. — December 28, 2015 @ 10:38 am Reply
totally making this!!
Maria — December 28, 2015 @ 10:00 am Reply
Great way to sneak in some healthy greens!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt — December 28, 2015 @ 9:24 am Reply
Yum! This looks amazing! I feel like I have superpowers when I eat kale :-))

Best Kale Pesto Recipe (Video) How To Make Pesto - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

How do you spice up pesto? ›

14 Ways To Add More Flavor To Store-Bought Pesto

Upgrade with a drizzle of olive oil. ...
Bring a touch of heat. ...
Pour in a bit of acid. ...
Shape it with heavy cream. ...
Integrate some green vegetables or fresh herbs. ...
Incorporate additional nuts or seeds. ...
Swirl in flavored salt. ...
Scoop in a small amount of mayonnaise.

More items...

Mar 31, 2024

Get More Info ›

How do you get the bitterness out of kale pesto? ›

If the kale pesto tastes bitter, add 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup or honey to balance it.

Get More Info ›

How can I increase the flavor of my pesto? ›

Add more Parmesan cheese. Add more nuts (that taste good!). Use fresh garlic or add less or even toast the garlic first before using in the pesto.

Read On ›

Is pesto supposed to be spicy? ›

Although raw garlic, basil, and some olive oils can sometimes be described as "spicy," traditional basil pesto is not a spicy sauce in the same way that chilli-based sauces like chimichurri, harissa, or gochujang are.

Tell Me More ›

How to spruce up pesto pasta? ›

Additions - Some roasted or fresh cherry tomatoes would be delicious, I like to add fresh basil leaves to the top too. Pesto usually has pine nuts but you could add some extra toasted ones into the sauce. To add some greens you could mix through some chopped fresh spinach.

Get More Info Here ›

What makes pesto taste better? ›

Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you'd like a creamier/cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil.

View Details ›

How to mellow pesto? ›

The solution: fix too much garlic with a little acidity and sweetness. What we do recommend is our go-to method for mellowing the overly garlicky taste of pesto: adding a touch of acidity and sweetness. Acid (normally in the form of lemon juice or vinegar) denatures allicin, the source of garlic's spiciness.

How do you keep pesto vibrant? ›

“Lemon juice is indeed my secret to helping preserve the basil's color,” divulges Parisi. “I believe it also adds more complexity and balance of flavor to the pesto, and does a good job of keeping the pesto tasting fresh, which is why it's my secret ingredient.”

Read The Full Story ›

Why shouldn't you heat pesto? ›

The primary ingredients in pesto — basil and olive oil — are sensitive to heat. Basil can lose its vibrant color and fresh flavor when exposed to high temperatures, turning it a darker, more muted green.

What cheese is best for pesto? ›

Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese; we often use Romano which has a stronger flavor. Basil pesto recipes often call for pine nuts, but you can easily substitute walnuts.

Show Me More ›

How to doctor up jarred pesto sauce? ›

Add a touch of heavy cream for creaminess and a good amount of grated parmesan cheese. As always, season your sauce with salt and pepper to taste. I like to finish the sauce with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Topping the sauce with fresh basil is also a great way to reinforce the pesto flavor.

Learn More ›

Can you add pesto straight from the jar? ›

Yes, pesto can be used straight from the jar and doesn't require cooking or heating. In fact, we actively discourage applying too much heat to pesto, as this will destroy many of the fresh flavours that producers work so hard to retain.

View Details ›

What makes pesto taste good? ›

Traditional pesto is a thick, green sauce that tastes bright and herby from the basil, and salty and rich from the cheeses and pine nuts. It should be garlicky, with pleasant grassiness from good quality olive oil.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you mellow out pesto? ›

What we do recommend is our go-to method for mellowing the overly garlicky taste of pesto: adding a touch of acidity and sweetness. Acid (normally in the form of lemon juice or vinegar) denatures allicin, the source of garlic's spiciness.

Discover More Details ›

Best Kale Pesto Recipe (Video) How To Make Pesto - A Spicy Perspective (2024)