Vegan and gluten-free. I love this vegan pesto recipe whenever kale is in season. When I buy a bag of kale, I usually have about half left over. This pesto is a great way to use up leftover kale. Perfect for quick lunch or dinners as you just need to swirl it through pasta. Vegan Kale Pesto recipe makes a nice alternative to basil pesto and you also get the added nutrition benefits from the kale. This is a plant-based version using nutritional yeast but you can absolutely use grated parmesan if you wish.
Kale Pesto Ingredients
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post Kale – use the leaves and the tender stems. Ensure the kale is as fresh as possible for the best flavour and results. Basil – I love adding a bit of fresh basil to my kale pesto but you can leave it out if you do not have it to hand. Other fresh herbs such as parsley work so well too. Nuts – I have used walnuts but you could use pine nuts or almonds too. Even sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds work well. Garlic – fresh garlic cloves are best in pesto. Extra virgin olive oil – use this generously for delicious pesto Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is best but you can use bottled Red chilli flakes (optional) Nutritional yeast – (optional) adds savoury flavour in replacement of parmesan cheese in this recipe. Alternatively, you can use hemp seeds or vegan parmesan Salt and black pepper Optional – italian seasoning.
How to make Kale Pesto – step by step instructions
In a food processor, add the kale, basil, garlic, nuts, red chilli flakes and nutritional yeast. Blend a few times to grind down to a coarse paste. Add the lemon juice and oil steadily and continue to blend until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serving Suggestions
Toss through pasta or gnocci. Serve with gluten-free pasta. Use it in this vegan bruschetta. Use in this Grilled Zucchini Ribbon Salad. Drizzle over roasted vegetables such as these air fryer cauliflower.
Storage
Store leftover kale pesto in an airtight container or jar and keep in the refrigerator. Use it up within 5 days. You can also freeze pesto successfully – place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature. Note that this can affect the fresh flavor and taste
Other sauces/pesto recipes
Basil sauce Cilantro Pesto Creamy Cilantro Sauce As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Note:- This post was originally posted in January 2016 but I have updated the post since with newer photos and helpful content. The recipe remains the same.
