Easy Kale Pesto Recipe (tasty twist on a classic!)
Are you craving a homemade classic basil pesto, but are completely out of fresh basil? No problem! This insanely delicious kale pesto recipe will absolutely satisfy your craving! It has all the ingredients you’d find in most pesto recipes: grated Parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. But instead of basil, you substitute some fresh kale and voila…..an insanely delicious twist on a classic recipe!
Side note: this recipe is a great way to eat more dark leafy greens!
Drizzle it over this Chicken Parmesan, swirl it into your favorite pasta (highly recommend this Pasta with Chicken Meatballs), use a flavorful dip, or add some mayonnaise or yogurt and use as a sandwich spread.
Have you used up all your garden basil? Substitute kale and make your new favorite pesto!
If you’re like me and love growing basil in your garden, you might also be like me and tend to use it all up by the end of Summer. Or maybe you’re getting tired of basil (shocker, I know, but it can happen!) and looking for alternatives.
A few Summers ago, I wanted to make a pesto to spoon over Spanish meatballs, and had zero fresh basil. I did have a bunch of lacinato kale that was looking a bit wilted and needed to be used. I’ve made pesto with arugula and spinach, so why not make it with kale?
The first time I tested this recipe, I didn’t blanch the kale. It seemed like too much work at the time. Ohhhhh that was a big mistake! (think of Julia Robert’s in that infamous scene from Pretty Woman…..”big mistake! huge!!”)
That batch of kale pesto turned out incredibly bitter. And the strong flavor of the kale completely overwhelmed the flavor of the other ingredients. So, the next time I tested this recipe, I blanched the kale first. The flavor was much less bitter. You could still taste the kale, but it was much more of a background flavor. It stood up to the other ingredients and played nicely with them, without overshadowing them. And that’s exactly what I was looking for, especially since my family isn’t the biggest fan of kale. 😉
This version has a zippy, tangy flavor thanks to the lemon juice. Toasted pine nuts add a nutty texture while fresh garlic gives a bit of heat. Parmesan cheese melts into the sauce, and extra virgin olive oil is the perfect emulsifier to bring all the ingredients and flavors together.
Why You Need to Make This Easy Kale Pesto Recipe ASAP!
- It’s crazy easy. All the ingredients are added to the bowl of a food processor. You whizz them all together for a couple of minutes and that’s it!
- We all love a traditional basil pesto, but sometimes you need to eat more greens, right?
- It’s a delicious sauce that is so versatile!
If you’re crazy about sauces and can’t get enough, this is going to be your new favorite!
Star Kale Pesto Ingredients
- Kale — I know, pretty obvious, right? 🤣 I’m a fan of the large lacinato kale (also called tuscan kale or dinosaur kale), but curly kale or baby kale would also work.
- Toasted Pine Nuts — Yes, these are traditionally found in most pestos, but they’re not always toasted. Toasting them brings out more of their flavor, enhancing their natural sweetness and butteriness.
Pop on your favorite tunes, pour a glass of your favorite beverage and let’s make this together!
Bring a pot of water to boil. Fill a large bowl with water and ice and set aside.
Add kale leaves (only leaves, save the stems for homemade vegetable stock) and boil for 2-3 minutes. The leaves will turn a bright vibrant green!
Use a spider (one of my favorite kitchen tools!) and remove kale, carefully, from boiling water. Add the ice water bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. This stops the cooking process and allows the kale to cool off before you add it to food processor.
Add kale, toasted pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese and salt to food processor. Pulse a few times until you have a chunky consistency.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil and blend until it’s less chunky, but still has plenty of texture. A true pesto isn’t completely smooth.
Isn’t she gorgeous!! I wish you could taste it through the screen, but the good news, you can whip this up for yourself in less than 15 minutes!
One last thing……
My food processor is absolutely one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. It’s a workhorse! I always recommend using a food processor to make pesto. You want a slightly chunky, textured pesto, and a blender (I’m looking at you, Vitamix!) will make it too smooth and creamy.
