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
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
Oh yes…i was expecting a pancake! But you shall be excused for another week because the pesto looks gorgeous. And bonus points for the extra info on health benefits!
This looks like a kale recipe i would actually try…. i dont really like kale otherwise… ps the lin kd idn’t work for me
Oops, that was an unexpected mishap! Problem solved: recipe is up on the Food Fanatic site now. 🙂
I might just be a little slow this morning, but I couldnt find the recipe? I clicked over and it wasn’t on the page you linked (the main page) and a search for kale pesto didnt find anything. Am I missing something? I haven’t had any coffee yet…
I am having a hard time finding this recipe! As mentioned before, the link took me to the main page, and a search yielded no results. Help?
Hey Michelle, so sorry for the confusion. The kinks are being worked out right now. I promise the recipe will be up either on Food Fanatic or my page momentarily.
Annnnd we’re up and running! Sorry about that Michelle, and thanks for your patience. The kale recipe is on
my siteFood Fanatic now.Thank you for the response Julia! Can’t wait to try it 🙂 Yum yum! Have a great weekend!
I’ve never had kale before and have been wanting to give it a try…this looks like the perfect place to start!
Kale pesto pancakes? Next week. Do it. Just kidding.
I love pesto… soooo much. And it just seems so festive and perfect for this weekend, and.. gasp.. healthy. I soo want to try this 🙂
I love making pesto out of other greens. I have never seen one from kale before, but what a wonderful idea. Talk about pesto with healthy properties!!
Great minds think alike! I just made kale pesto the other day and haven’t posted my recipe yet. I am sad the pancake project is coming to an end, but super pumped for all of your delicious recipes to come. Happy weekend lady!
Yippyy! Can’t wait to see your recipe! I bet you made all sorts of incredible dishes with it too! You have yourself a wonderful St. Paddy’s Day!
I keep a bottle of (homemade) basil pesto in the fridge. It’s so useful, so great on so many things.
I really, REALLY like kale, so I’m definitely trying this!
That’s a nice surprise. Kale pesto is a fantastic idea! Hope to get a bunch of lacinato at the local farmer’s market…
I have been using pesto sauce lately instead of red sauce for our homemade pizza and this would be great!
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:)
GOOOORRRRGEOUS photos girl!! I just love this idea, especially adding it to sammies or pasta, I can see myself eating this all year long.
This sounds and looks absolutely delicious. Beautiful pictures!
I love any kind of kale!!
I love any kind of pesto!!