Kale Pesto

I made this for the first time this past week and it is a keeper! It is such a beautiful bright green color and is delicious on pasta, on warm veggies, as a spread or dip or even on a spoon right out of the jar!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of kale, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1-2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (use 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast for a dairy-free version)
  • 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
  • sea salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

 

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) then add walnuts to a baking sheet and bake in oven for 5-10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
  2. In a large pot of salted water cook the kale for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry.
  3. In a food processor, combine the kale, walnuts, garlic and parmesan, lemon juice, chili flakes, salt and pepper until almost smooth. With the machine running, add the olive oil.
  4. Serve over warm or cold pasta, roast vegetables or as a dip for bread, crackers or veggie sticks.
  5. To store, cover with a thin layer of olive oil and store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

 

Enjoy!