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A bright green Kale Pesto made with pistachios and kale in a bowl.
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Kale Pesto Recipe

You can use this pesto on anything! Sandwiches, pasta, or eat it plain. It's THAT good!
Course Appetizer, Seasoning, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 1336kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups kale stems removed, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup pistachios see notes
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional. Add more for added heat

Instructions

  • Add the kale, salt, garlic, lemon juice, pistachios, grated parmesan, olive oil, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. 
  • Serve with pasta, on sandwiches, on pizza. 

Notes

If pistachios are salted, reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
Replace pistachios with walnuts, cashews, or almonds — use pepitas for a nut-free option.
If you don’t have red pepper flakes you can add jalapeño to the pesto for heat. Remove the jalapeño seeds for mild/medium, and keep the seeds for medium/hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 1336kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 130g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1643mg | Potassium: 1302mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 20403IU | Vitamin C: 251mg | Calcium: 641mg | Iron: 5mg