Kale Pesto Sauce with fresh kale, basil, walnuts, nutritional yeast, and cider vinegar. A dairy-free vegan pesto sauce recipe that’s loaded with Vitamins and antioxidants!
Have you ever put kale in your pesto sauce?
It’s quite a marvelous idea.
By adding the leafy green to your classic pesto sauce, you’re achieving a vitamin and antioxidant infusion while not sacrificing any flavor!
This is a great way to get a little extra greens in your diet, and also an awesome way to use up any extra kale you may have in your refrigerator.
This kale pesto is so easy to make.
It takes about three and a half minutes to make and it makes your pasta, sandwiches, fish and chicken scream with flavor!
Use this on my Roasted Eggplant Pesto Sandwich for an awesome lunch or dinner.
And the nutrition oh by golly, the nutrition!! Healthy fats? Ding! Vitamins? Ding! Mouthwatering tastiness? Ding, ding ding!
Kale is full of fiber, Vitamins and folate and walnuts are full of protein and omega fatty acids.
And did you know basil has anti-cancer properties to it?
It is a natural antimicrobial, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory.
Plus, basil helps protect cells while cancer patients are undergoing radiation (Source: The Cancer Fighting Kitchen Cookbook).
The earth is full of healing and prevention tools.
I kept this recipe vegan by using nutritional yeast and cider vinegar to replace the parmesan.
If you aren’t dairy-free, you can omit both the nutritional yeast and cider vinegar and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
You can also change the amount of oil depending on how thick or thin you like your pesto sauce.
I hope you enjoy this superfood kale pesto sauce!
If you love pesto, also try my Basil Pesto Sauce and my Roasted Beet Pesto!

Kale Pesto Sauce Recipe
Delicious pesto sauce makes everything tastier! Now you can get adding nutrients with this kale pesto!
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale leaves, tightly packed
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast*
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup avocado oil, or olive oil**
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except oil to a food processor and pulse until chopped.
- Once chopped, turn the food processor on and stream the oil through the opening in the top.
- Continue processing until desired texture is reached. Taste pesto for flavor and add more sea salt or nutritional yeast
Notes
*Replace the nutritional yeast and cider vinegar with 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese if you do dairy. If you go this route, increase the amount of avocado oil to 2/3 cup or 1 cup.
**Use more avocado oil for thinner, saucier consistency
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 2 TbspAmount Per Serving Calories 217Total Fat 23gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 2gFiber 1gProtein 2g
Rachael {Simply Fresh Cooking}
Wednesday 20th of March 2013
I love any kind of pesto!!
Rachael {Simply Fresh Cooking}
Wednesday 20th of March 2013
I love any kind of kale!!
Baltic Maid
Sunday 17th of March 2013
This sounds and looks absolutely delicious. Beautiful pictures!
Abby
Sunday 17th of March 2013
GOOOORRRRGEOUS photos girl!! I just love this idea, especially adding it to sammies or pasta, I can see myself eating this all year long.
Nancy/SpicieFoodie
Sunday 17th of March 2013
Julia this looks so good! Unfortunately Kale is no where to be found here so all I can do is admire your pesto. Such gorgeous and happy photos:)