Easy Kale Pesto

5 from 2 votes

Make this easy kale pesto recipe with fresh kale, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. It's amazing in pasta dishes, as a dip or a marinade.

Prep 15

Cook 5

Total 20

Fat 16

Carbs 4

Protein 4

Yield

Ingredients

⅓ cup olive oil separated
4 cloves garlic peeled
4 cups chopped kale deboned and packed
½ cup grated parmesan cheese medium grate
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup walnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Take the bottom of a glass or a large chef's knife and place it over the top of each garlic clove and press firmly to smash the garlic clove just until flattened.
Heat 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and slightly golden brown.
Add the cooked garlic to a high powered food processor along with kale, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, walnuts, salt and the remaining olive oil.
Pulse the ingredients in the food processor to mix the ingredients and then process all of the ingredients on high for 2-4 minutes or until the ingredients become thick and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times during the processing time.
After the pesto has been processed it should be thick and creamy. If the pesto is still dry and chunky, add a teaspoon or two more of olive oil, scrape the sides, and continue to process the pesto until it becomes thick and creamy. Sometimes processing the pesto longer will draw the oil out of the walnuts which will add more moisture to the pesto.
Serve the pesto over pasta, as a sauce on sandwiches, or transfer the pesto to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Tips & Notes

This recipe yields approximately 3/4 cup pesto.
This isn’t a drippy pesto, it is a thicker pesto sauce. If you would like a more wet pesto add 1-2 teaspoons of water until it reaches the desired consistency.
We sauté the garlic to draw out the garlic flavor and create a delicious depth of flavor.
You can use raw garlic, but it will change the flavor of the pesto.
If you would like a “creamy” pesto you can add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
If you don’t have walnuts you can use almonds or pistachios.
This pesto has to be used within 5 days if stored in the refrigerator. To stretch the pesto, scoop the pesto into an ice tray and freeze the best for 1-2 hours. Pop the pesto cubes out of the ice cube tray and store them in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts