Vegan Kale Pesto
Source
https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-kale-pesto/
Ingredients
- 80g kale, chopped, stems removed (~2 packed cups)
- 76g pine nuts, raw (~½ cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 30ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed (2 Tbsp)
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil (¼ cup)
- 15ml maple syrup (1 Tbsp)
Instructions
- Add lemon juice and minced garlic to a small bowl. Let garlic soak in lemon juice for at least 5 minutes (mellows the raw garlic bite).
- While garlic soaks, toast pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for ~5 minutes until lightly browned. Watch closely — they burn fast.
- In a food processor with S blade, add kale, toasted pine nuts, garlic + lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Process until all ingredients are combined.
- Stop and scrape down sides. Continue processing while drizzling in olive oil.
- Process to desired consistency, scraping sides as needed.
- Taste and adjust lemon, salt, or pepper if needed.
Tips & Notes
- Makes ~240ml / 1 cup of pesto.
- Ready in 10 minutes — genuinely fast.
- Garlic soak is recommended — raw garlic can overpower otherwise. 5 min in lemon juice mellows it.
- Pine nut toasting is highly recommended — adds depth. Don’t walk away, they burn in seconds.
- Maple syrup balances kale bitterness — haven’t tested other sweeteners.
- Keeps 1 week fridge in airtight container. Freezer-friendly 3 months.
- Uses: Pasta (any shape), toast/crostini, pizza base, dip, salad dressing, on roasted veggies.
- Classic pesto also exists — this is the kale variation. See source site for classic vegan pesto if preferred.
Tags
recipe, vegan, pasta, sauce, pesto, quick, component