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Home » Recipe Type » Dips
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Creamy and Fresh Kale Pesto

5 minutes
garlickale
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:4/6/22
Updated:10/2/24
Jump to Recipe

Super easy kale pesto ready in 5 minutes! This creamy pesto can be used with pasta or as a spread or dip. This is great to make when you have lots of kale to use! This recipe will make about 2 cups of pesto.

kale pesto in mason jar with spoon full.

Have lots of kale? Make Kale Pesto!

Have you ever been stuck with too much kale in your fridge but have no desire to make yet another batch of Kale Chips? Sure, you could use it up in a batch of my Homemade Kale Crackers, or make Kale Pasta with Butter Sauce for dinner, or if you’d prefer something super easy…. try this pesto!

Making pesto sauce with kale is a great way to use up your leftover leafy greens if you have it in the fridge, or if you’re a gardener with just too much kale! Italian pesto sauce is traditionally made by blending basil, pine nuts, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese together, but instead we’re swapping the basil for kale!

This recipe calls for 1 bunch of kale which will make 2 cups of pesto, but you can easily double or triple it if you want to make more. When we have too much kale in the garden, I will make a few batches to freeze!

glass jar filled with kale pesto with other ingredients behind it on table.

Kale pesto ingredients

  • Kale, a whole bunch of it, about 6-7 cups.
  • Nuts, use whatever you have in your kitchen: pine nuts, pistachios, cashews, or almonds all work!
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic
  • Sugar
  • Salt and pepper
closeup of fresh kale

How to Make Creamy Kale Pesto

Prepare the kale by chopping it into small pieces and wash it with water. Dry it with a clean kitchen cloth or in a salad spinner, we just want to make sure it’s clean.

Place the clean kale and the rest of the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth sauce. If it’s too thick, add a little water to thin it out.

ingredients in food processor.

Serve the pesto right away or store it for later.

What can I do with Kale Pesto?

  • Add over spaghetti, and then stir. A little bit goes a long way!
  • Drizzle over pizza on top, or use pesto instead of pizza sauce.
  • Mix it into mashed potatoes to add some nutty flavor.
  • Use as a spread on your favorite sandwich.
  • Serve with crackers and cut vegetables as a dip.
spaghetti on plate with kale pesto on it.

Storing Pesto

To store: Add the pesto into a airtight container, or mason jar, storing it in he refrigerator. Pesto usually stays good in the fridge for a couple weeks.

To freeze: Pour pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until they are solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze, good for a couple months. To use, simply add frozen to hot dishes (it will melt quickly on hot pasta), or if using as a dip or spread, defrost in the microwave.

Pin for later:

This creamy Kale Pesto recipe swaps basil leaves for fresh kale to make a vegan pesto sauce. Use as a pasta topping, a spread or dip, or grab a spoon and dive in! This is great to make when you have lots of kale to use! This recipe will make about 2 cups of pesto.
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Fresh 5 Minute Kale Pesto

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Super easy kale pesto ready in 5 minutes! This creamy pesto can be used with pasta or as a spread or dip. This is great to make when you have lots of kale to use! This recipe will make about 2 cups of pesto.
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Total Time 5 minutes minutes
serves 12

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale cleaned and chopped, about 6-7 cups
  • 1/4 cup nuts you can use pine nuts, pistachios, cashews or almonds
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • pinch pepper

Instructions

  • Wash kale and then chop up into small pieces. Dry kale, either with a salad spinner, or pat dry with a towel.
  • Place all your ingredients into a food processor. Pulse a few times until a creamy pesto forms. If your food processor is not moving, add 2 tablespoons of water to help the blades.
  • Serve over pasta, as a dip/spread, or add to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

Notes

This recipe makes 2 cups of pesto.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: kale pesto
Fall, Spring, Summer
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

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  1. Lauren says

    October 25, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Dear Pamela~
    I am so excited I found you’re blog! I made this kale pesto and added a bunch of basil because, lets face it I’m addicted to basil. It was delicious and made my hubby happy too =) Thanks for being such a bright, shining soul. I can’t wait to see next years garden escapades.

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      October 26, 2013 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks so much for stopping in to let me know you tried this pesto Lauren! Some basil always makes everything better! Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. GiGi Eats Celebrities says

    September 18, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    Such a delicious way to use an amazingly healthy Veggie!! 😀

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      September 19, 2013 at 11:04 am

      Enjoy GiGi!

      Reply
  3. Tandy | Lavender and Lime says

    September 17, 2013 at 3:44 am

    I would also eat this by the spoonful! It looks delicious 🙂

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      September 17, 2013 at 11:13 am

      I do that sometimes Tandy, don’t tell anyone. 😉

      Reply
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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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