Kale almond pesto is the perfect way to add more veggies to your meal without having to chomp through a huge salad or stir-fry! The acid from the lemon and the balsamic vinegar perfectly balances out the kale and the taste is spectacular as a base for pizza or on pasta noodles! This pesto is simple to make and stores fantastically in the fridge for a few days! I kept the cheese out of this one but added some almonds for body and some much needed fat. This won’t replace your basil pesto but it’s certainly a lovely change of pace in my book!
If you are anything like me, you have had an abundance of food over the past few days! I’ve been craving something just a bit lighter and full of veggies and this pesto hit the spot. I actually have enjoyed it many ways but my favorite has been as the base for a vegan sweet potato pizza bites. I heard that 2014 was the year of kale, so I figured we might as well end the year with a bang :) I put as much kale as physically possible into this pesto (I couldn’t jam any more in the food processor!). The result was all the flavors of my favorite kale salad but none of the chewing required :)
Sometimes kale can be difficult to eat. I personally need there to be some acid in the picture. I used both lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in this dish, but lime juice and sherry vinegar also produce a lovely version :) Make adjustments with what you have on hand and your own personal preferences. This pesto is great the day you make it but is even better the next day when the vinegar has a chance to mellow out. I would recommend making a big jar, it won’t stick around long. I have made a batch of this for my little sister and she liked it so much she asked me to teach her how to make it so she can have it anytime she wants! It always makes me smile when I learn that she likes one of my recipes so much.
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Kale Almond Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch kale - thick stalks removed
- 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
- 1 Juice of lemon
- 10 almonds
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 2-3 tbs. water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp. Primal Palate Garlic & Herb
- Additional kale - as needed
Instructions
- Remove the large stems from the kale leaves and tear into smaller more manageable pieces.
- Add 1/2 of the kale to food processor along with lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.
- Blitz until the kale has been broken down. Add olive oil, water, salt and pepper and almonds.
- Process 2 minutes until everything has been thoroughly incorporated.
- Add remaining kale to the food processor and process another 2-3 minutes until thick pesto sauce has been formed.
- Add as much additional kale as you see fit, blend until incorporated.
- Taste for salt and pepper.
- Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Nutrition Information
If you are using this sauce as a pasta sauce, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining once pasta is finished cooking. Add 2-3 tbs. of cooking water to the kale almond pesto. This will help the pesto adhere to the pasta, as the starch from the pasta will be in the reserved water.
What about you?
- What is your favorite way to enjoy kale?
- Is kale something you pick up on your usual grocery haul?
- Have you started thinking about New Year’s Resolutions?
Melissa Vera
I am just learning how cool kale is. Thanks so much for linking up this week at #HomeMattersParty. Can’t wait to see what you link up next week.
Evija
This looks absolutely delicious, I love pesto.. never made it myself but this looks lovely and will definitely be giving it a go. Thank you for sharing and joining our Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday Link Party.. Have a great day, co-host Evija @Fromevijawithlove x
Emily
I have been making kale smoothies for a while now, but just started experimenting with pesto recipes if I don’t eat all the kale in time. This looks tasty! My husband has a balsamic vinegar he loves, so I’ll have to try this recipe out. Pinning!
If you are interested, I’d love to have you share this & other clean eating posts at the linkup I co-host on Tuesdays. It goes live at 7 AM central. {It’s actually open to all types of posts…but you have quite a few clean eating recipes that look tasty!!}
Brandi Clevinger
What a beautiful looking pesto! Kale is good, so this is worth giving a try.
Thanks for sharing at #SmallVictoriesSundayLinkup !
Sadhna Grover
This kale pesto looks great, green colour is so nice. I love kale but I have never tried kale pesto. Thanks for sharing, by chance I also shared a kale and tofu dish for Meatless monday event.
Jen @ The Halfway Homemaker
I have never tried kale pesto, looks great. Thanks for sharing with Tasty Tuesdays!
Sam
Jen it’s a great way to change it up! Have a great day and thanks for hosting Tasty Tuesday!
Andrea
I have gobs of kale to use up right now. Perfect timing on this recipe!
Sam
Yay!! Kale chips are amazing as well! Enjoy your day!
Lean Lena
Mmmm…yum! I love kale. Never thought of making pesto with it! I love it in salads and smoothies, but never tried making kale pesto.
Thanks for linking up with Tasty Tuesday this week :)
Tina Muir
This sounds amazing! I love pesto, and love the idea of using kale to kick up the nutrition and lighten it up like you said! This sounds perfect to me! Thanks so much for your recipes this year, I have looked forward to them every week! Looking forward to seeing a lot more in 2015!
Sarah
Love kale and kale pesto! I love adding it to veggie “noodles” for an extra punch of flavor and nutrition!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner
Ohh this looks like a great way to do Pesto a little healthier. Thanks for linking up with us again today. Hope to see lots more of your recipes in 2015!
Renee @ Bendiful Blog
Yummm Kale Pesto sounds perfect to me! AND I’m doing whole30 right now and everything in this recipe is approved!! Thank you! I’m going to use this tonight with my sea scallops.
Sam
Woohoo! I hope you are able to enjoy it :) It’s so easy and delish! I”ve been thinking about trying Whole30, glad to know I could still be creative while doing it :)