All you need is 5 minutes and 6 simple ingredients for this vegan kale pesto recipe! Bright and flavorful, it goes great with pasta and is perfect for topping on meat/fish, grilled vegetables, eggs, or pizza.
I'm so excited for you to try this vegan kale pesto! It's made using a combination of kale and basil, so you still get that aromatic flavor of basil, plus the peppery flavor and benefits of kale.
I'm a big fan of kale! It is definitely a super food. Kale contains fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin E, and many other nutrients. I love adding kale into just about anything I can. For more kale recipes, check out this chicken and kale soup, roasted butternut squash salad, apple kale smoothie, and kale and Brussels sprouts salad.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy - This pesto requires just 6 simple ingredients and 5 minutes!
- Healthy - The benefits of kale and walnuts make for a super healthy pesto sauce.
- Mix of kale and basil - I've made pesto with only kale before, but I love basil so much that I needed a pesto in my life that had both kale and basil. This pesto has the healthy benefits of kale, plus the vibrant flavor of basil. It's a win-win 🙂
- Versatile - You can use pesto for just about anything - pasta, sandwiches, vegetables, you name it!
Ingredient Notes
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
- Kale - I recommend you use curly kale for the milder flavor. You could try lacinato kale, but that is a bit richer in flavor and might be overpowering.
- Basil - You need fresh basil, not dried.
- Olive oil - Extra-virgin olive oil is best - for quality, taste, and health benefits.
Clean food tips: Kale repeatedly shows up on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list, meaning it contains a high amount of pesticide residue. Because of this, I recommend organic kale. Using organic basil will ensure you don't have any pesticide residue on those beautiful flavorful leaves! And because non-organic nuts (including walnuts) are typically treated with a variety of pesticides, I like buying organic walnuts.
Variations & Substitutions
Swap the walnuts for almonds - I have made this vegan pesto with both walnuts and almonds, so if you're looking for an almond pesto, you can for sure swap the walnuts for almonds.
Use pine nuts - Traditional pesto uses pine nuts (I like walnuts for the flavor and health benefits), so if you're looking for a more traditional vegan pesto, swap the walnuts for pine nuts.
Add parmesan - If you don't need this pesto to be vegan and want some cheese, add ¼-1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Nutritional yeast - For a cheesy flavor without the dairy, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
How To Make
Step 1: Add all ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a food processor.
Step 2: Blend until ingredients start to form a paste; 30-45 seconds. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple times.
Step 3: Add the olive oil.
Step 4: Pulse a few more times until combined. Check the pesto and add additional olive oil to thin, if you'd like.
What to Eat With Pesto
While my favorite thing to do with this pesto recipe is make pesto pasta (since I avoid gluten, I always use Jovial noodles - their farfalle is my favorite with pesto), there are lots of others way to enjoy it. Here are just a few additional things you can do with this pesto.
- Add a dollop to skillet vegetable lasagna.
- Brush on top of air fryer frozen salmon during and after cooking.
- Sheet pan dinners - Bake up some chicken breasts and veggies of your choice and then top chicken and veggies with pesto.
- Add to the top of smashed potatoes in the air fryer.
- Spread on pizza instead of red sauce, or add a few dollops on the top of your pizza.
- Spread on a sandwich (cold or grilled).
- Serve alongside some gluten-free chicken meatballs for a tasty appetizer.
- Thin it out with water, or more extra-virgin olive oil, and use as a salad dressing.
- Add a dollop on top of eggs or a dairy-free and gluten-free frittata.
Tips & Notes
Consistency - If you're pesto is too thick for your liking, add in some additional extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Freezing - I like to freeze my pesto in ice cube trays so that I can just take out a little bit at a time when life calls for pesto!
Pasta - If using this for pasta, save some of the starchy pasta water to mix with the pesto. The starchy water helps coat the pasta and makes it creamier.
Recipe FAQs
While I have never actually made this without any sort of nuts, I have seen people suggest using sunflower seeds, so you can definitely try swapping out the nuts for an equal amount of sunflower seeds.
Traditional/regular pesto contains parmesan cheese and since cheese is not vegan, vegan pesto does not have any cheese in it. Typically, the rest of the ingredients are the same.
No, you can use all kale if you'd like. I like the herby flavor basil adds to the pesto, but you use all kale as well.
How to Store
Fridge: This pesto will stay fresh in a jar, or other airtight container, for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend first freezing in ice cube trays and then transferring frozen cubes to a freezer safe container, such as a stasher bag.
More Vegan Recipes To Try!
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Vegan Kale Pesto
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Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups torn kale leaves (tightly packed)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (about 15-20 large basil leaves)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled (if your cloves are small, you could use 2)
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except the extra-virgin olive oil, to a food processor. Process on high until a paste begins to form (about 30-45 seconds). You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor occasionally.
- Add olive oil and pulse a few times until mixed. You can check your pesto at this time and if it's too thick for your liking, add in additional olive oil (1 tbsp. at a time). If too thin, you can add in additional kale or basil.
- Taste and add more salt and/or garlic if needed.
- Use as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using curly kale. When preparing the kale, tear the kale leaves from the thick, inner stems and discard the thick inner stem (and be sure to wash the kale).
- Pesto will stay fresh in a jar, or other air tight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days. Or freeze in ice cube trays and store frozen cubes in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Anonymous says
Can't event ell this is vegan. Recipe turned out great!