Super Kale Pesto
This delicious, healthy kale pesto recipe can be served on pasta, sandwiches, etc. This pesto is ready in under 10 minutes. It's vegan and rich in Omega-3s!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 17, 2024
When asked what I do for a living, my response lately has been, โIโm a food blogger,โ which is usually met with an eyebrow raise. โWhat kind of food?โ they ask. I explain that I publish tasty recipes that just so happen to be healthy. (I probably need a better elevator pitch.)
I stand by my statement with this pesto. Yes, itโs packed with so-called super foods, but itโs also mighty tasty and ready in under 10 minutes.
Hemp seeds are new to me. Iโd come across them in health magazines and vegan blogs before, so I knew theyโre high in protein and full of essential amino acids. Iโm not the kind of person who takes wheat grass shots just because theyโre healthy, though. I wasnโt interested in hemp seeds until I read in Martha Steward Living that they actually taste good. Like pine nuts, sorta. Sold!
I found a bag of hemp seeds in the supplement aisle of Whole Foods for 10 bucks, reminded myself that theyโre still cheaper than pine nuts and tossed the bag in my cart. At home, in a post-shopping fit of hunger, I whirred together garlic, kale and hemp seeds in my food processor. I reheated some leftover pasta from the fridge. About 10 minutes after I got started, I was enjoying a super nutrient-dense dinner. I must have polished off at least 1/3 cup of hemp seeds and half a bunch of kale in one sitting. Iโm expecting my Popeye muscles any day now.
Later, it occurred to me that I could use flaxseed oil instead of olive oil in the pesto. I had a forgotten bottle of flaxseed oil in my fridge. Flaxseed oil is a bit limited in cooking preparations, since it should only be served chilled or at room temperature. To retain nutritional benefits, both flaxseeds and hemp seeds should be kept in the refrigerator and never cooked.
The flaxseed oil significantly ups the amount of omega-3โs in the pesto. I couldnโt detect the flavor of flax in the pesto, which was a big plus. The oil has made a few of my salad dressings taste overwhelmingly flax-y. The hemp seeds disappear into the pesto, too, leaving a pleasantly nutty flavor and some creaminess.
If you donโt have hemp seeds and flaxseed oil on hand, you can totally make this into a kale, walnut and olive oil pesto. That version will be very good for you, too. Iโve been trying to incorporate more inflammation-reducing omega-3โs in my diet (my dry skin needs all the help it can get), so Iโm excited to have found a delicious way to get them. You can learn more about those omega-3โs here.
This pesto is not just for pasta. In fact, I might prefer it as a full-flavored dip or spread rather than on pasta. You could spread it on sandwiches or wraps and mix it into quinoa or grain salads. Iโm also thinking it would be great with wild rice and roasted carrots. Or potatoes. On toast, with or without a fried egg on top. Speaking of eggs, you could mix this pesto into scrambled eggs or serve it on top of a frittata.
If you are serving the pesto on pasta, you could lighten up the meal by adding more produce. In the summer, you could mix in zucchini noodles and/or grilled bell peppers and/or slow-roasted tomatoes. Sautรฉed mushrooms or chunks of roasted winter squash would be nice in the cooler months. Let me know how you like it!
Super Kale Pesto
This kale pesto recipe is made with Omega 3-rich hemp seeds and flaxseed oil. Ready in under 10 minutes! For a more pantry-friendly option, use walnuts/pecans instead of hemp seeds and/or olive oil for the flaxseed oil (itโs just as tasty). Recipe yields about 1 ยผ cups pesto.
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cups packed kale (about 1 small bunch)
- ยพ cup hemp seeds or toasted walnuts or pecans
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ยพ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- ยผ teaspoon ground pepper
- Red pepper flakes, optional (if you want to add some kick)
- ยผ cup flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil (more if desired)
- Entirely optional: โ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pasta (if you want pastaโฆ)
- 1 pound (16 ounces) whole grain pasta, like linguine
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, add the peeled garlic cloves and process until the garlic is minced. Add the kale, hemp seeds, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the oil. Process until the pesto reaches your desired consistency, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste and add more lemon, salt or pepper if necessary. (You can thin out the pesto with more oil, but if youโre serving with pasta, keep in mind that you can also thin it out with reserved pasta cooking water.)
- Cook the pasta (optional): Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve one cup cooking liquid before draining the pasta. Let the pasta and pasta water cool for a minute to make sure the high heat doesnโt damage the flax oil pesto.
- If you intend to have leftovers, transfer the amount of pasta you think youโll be eating immediately to a serving bowl and mix in pesto with splashes of cooking water. Otherwise, you can mix the pasta and pesto together in your cooking pot, adding splashes of cooking water as necessary. Keep in mind that you have diluted the flavor a bit with the cooking water, so taste and add more lemon, salt or a drizzle of olive oil as necessary.
Notes
Recipe loosely adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook.
Suggestions for leftovers: If you intend to have leftover pasta, itโs best to store the noodles and pesto separately. Avoid reheating pesto (it will lose its vibrance and some of its flavor)โespecially if you used flaxseed oil, which is heat sensitive. To serve, bring the pesto to room temperature and add a little water if necessary to get the right consistency.
Make it vegan: This pesto is vegan as long as you skip the Parmesan.
Make it gluten-free: This pesto is gluten-free; just be sure to serve it on gluten-free pasta or whatever else.
Make it nut-free: Use hemp seeds instead of walnuts or pecans.
Recommended equipment: If youโre in the market for a food processor, I loveย this small, highly rated Cuisinart food processor (affiliate link).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This recipe is great! Itโs tastes delicious. We subscribed to a CSA and were receiving kale on a routine basis. This recipe allowed me to plow through our CSA kale while making a great tasting and healthy pesto that made for easy and practical meals.
hi! how long does this recipie keep just in the fridge, not freezer? thinking of making and spreading on toast!
Hi! It should keep for a few days in an air tight container! This would be delicious on toast.
We LOVE this recipe. It is one of the few ways I have to disguise kale for my toddler. I do find it to be a little salty, so I cut the salt down to 1/2 tsp.
Hi โ this sounds delicious
How long would the pesto keep and can you freeze the leftover pesto?
Thank you
I know my basil pesto freezes well, so I assume this would too. Try it in ice cube trays. Let me know!
Thanks for your quick reply. I tried freezing it in ice cube trays โ great idea. Defrosted one today to try and it was delicious
Thank you
Dear Katherine,
While i was reading your blog, I thought, she has a special talent to share her experience cooking. But then, I found at the end the nutritional information, and it really made me think that you deserve a great congratulation for making this incredible blog. You are talented, keep impressing people. I found you randomly, but I will definitely put you in my favourites websites to visit and read.
Have a happy new year.
Looking for knowing about your next recipe.
Youโre so kind, Maira! I appreciate your review.
This was delicious!!!! Always looking for a way to use up our gardensโs kale. I love fresh pesto and have made it with basil, cilantro, and parsley before, so I donโt know why it never occurred to me to use the kale. I used pine nuts because I had some hanging about. Other than that I made the recipe as written.
Thank you for sharing!
Made this last night, loved it. Had left overs today with roasted grape tomatoes and mushrooms. Wow! so good. Thanks for so many great recipes.
Just made this snd canโt wait to eat it later on pasta. It is so good just want to eat it by the spoonful. I use almonds in mine being my daughter is allergic to nuts. Thanks for the recipe.
Lush !! I didnt have quite enough kale so popped in some rocket as well, only had almonds so used them and pumpkin seeds, the garlic was spot on and I used the tip of a warmish chilli for fun:)
Half pasta, half spiralised zucchinin and it was awesome !!
Thank you for sharing, Liz! Iโm happy it turned out.
Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome recipe that has an alternative to using nuts! This is wonderful!!
Great recipe, thanks! I grew up with my Italian mama making fresh basil pesto from our garden, but when I asked her for the recipe a few years ago, she told me to just buy it at the grocery storeโฆ
I was short on kale so I made up the difference with some fresh basil and spinach. The whole family loved it!
Wonderful, Kristin! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
So delicious and easy! Second time Iโve made this and doubled the recipe. Everyone loves it and no left overs. Good and bad! :-D I did add extra red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan to keep it plant based. Love it! Thank you so much for.
Thank you for your review! I appreciate you sharing how you made it.
I love this recipe! I make it for my zoodles for lunch. How long do you think itโll keep in the fridge? Iโve made a big batch!
Hi! It should keep well for 3-4 days. Iโm glad you love it, Veronica.
This recipe is absolutely amazing!! I have made this sooo many times now since I found it, I just wish I found it sooner! I use walnuts and EVOO to stay on the cheaper side. I also sub in cashew parmesan โcheeseโ to make it Vegan. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Youโre welcome, Julia! Iโm delighted you enjoyed it.
I love this pesto! I used sunflower seeds instead of hemp and added some water to thin it out. Served on quinoa gluten free pasta and also over baked sweet potatoes! Yummy!
Sounds delicious, Suz! Thank you for sharing.
Can you use any other nuts, say cashews, instead of pecans or Walnuts? Thanks, this looks delicious and nutritious!
I prefer whatโs listed. But you can substitute if you like.
Hi, can you please let me know how long this pesto keeps in the fridge?
Hi Sheila! It should keep for a few days in an airtight container. Be sure to check out my storage suggestions for when reheating.
This recipe is amazing!! How long does the pesto keep in the fridge and freezer? Thanks!
Hi AO, Store leftover pesto in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. You can also freeze pestoโmy favorite way is in an ice cube try. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag, then you can thaw only as much as you need later.
This is so delicious! I skipped the Parmesan and placed cashew Parmesan on the table for each to put over their portion. Yum! I will definitely be making this again.
Thatโs great to hear, Luisa! I appreciate your review.
Incredible recipe! Become a new favourite for me. Thank you for this.
I did a bit of a remix to the recipe but used a combination of walnuts, almonds & hemp hearts! Also added basil to the blender and so happy with the result! Much appreciated
Thank you, Amit! Iโm happy you enjoyed it.
This is amazing on zucchini noodles! Truth be told, I didnโt follow the recipe, rather used it as a guideline (thank you so much for providing one). I combined at least three cups of kale, about a half cup of toasted walnuts, garlicโi just squeezed the pre-minced a few times, EVOOโno measurement just drizzled to desired consistency and a ton of lemonโpersonal preference! Nothing more was added. So fresh and yummy!
Iโm glad you were able to enjoy it, Katherine! I appreciate your review.
would sun dried tomatoes go well if blended into the pesto?
I would recommend Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles! Itโs delicious.
Thrilled about this. The pesto is (perhaps surprising, for being kale) wildly scrumptious. Hemp hearts for the win! You saved our dinner party tonight! Thank you!!
Youโre welcome, Katie! I appreciate your review.
This is fantastic. I was stunned by how delicious it was. Added it to jasmine rice topped w/ sautรฉed mushrooms, topped with delectable Parmesan! Wowza.
This was SO delicious. I left out the cheese and didnโt miss it at all. So much lighter and less greasy with the hemp hearts/no cheese. I served it with fresh linguine, julienned zucchini as you suggested, and halved fresh cherry tomatoes. I did add in a little basil and oregano with the kale.
Thank you for sharing how you adapted this recipe, Carly! I appreciate your review.
made this tonight for my parents; thank you for the beautiful recipe! looked & tasted lovely. there was a slight bitterness because of all the kale โ is there any way to counter that or is it part of the flavor?
Hi Urmila, Iโm glad you enjoyed it. You can add a bit more salt and see if that helps.
Hi, Kate, thank you for the recipe. I always appreciate others who can put flavors together effortlessly.
I had an abundance of both kale and parsley in my garden, so decided to try this recipe half and half. I even went to TJs and picked up hemp seeds, which Iโve never tried before (looking for more protein in my diet). Tasting the finished pesto, itโs very good, but the parsley dominates more than I hoped it would. I wonder if you have any ideas on how to tone it down? More lemon juice, maybe? Or some sort of spice? I have a basil pesto recipe I love that calls for almonds and a dash of nutmeg that is my go-to. Is there an herb or spice that would complement the parsley like the nutmeg does for the basil? (I laughed re-reading this before posting โ maybe the answer is right under my nose โ maybe adding basil would do the trick!)
I will appreciate any advice you or your readers can offer. Thanks!
Loretta
TIP: I like to warm my garlic in the olive oil on very low heat for just a minute or so and then let it cool before adding it to the pesto. This method takes the bite out of the raw garlic, which is sometimes overwhelming for me.
I have tried this and it is yummy.
Great to hear, Lou! I appreciate your review.
Made a double recipe today, kept half vegan for a potluck and put the extra parmesan in the other half (doubling it). Used walnuts and olive oil. They both came out great! Used some mixed half-and-half with Italian dressing on some grated carrots and red cabbage with my lunch. Yum!
Great to hear, Karen!
I just made this- so super yummy! I doctored it up a smidge by adding 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, approx. 2 tbsp ground flax, and a splash of water. Cannot wait to add it to some pasta add then top with toasted walnuts. Lunch will be amazing. Thank you for this recipe.
Youโre welcome, Heather! Thank you for your review.
Do you destem the kale first or does everything go in, leaves and stem?
Remove the thick stems. If they are on the smaller side, they should work ok. Let me know what you think!
This is second time making this pesto. I only had lacinato kale so it was a bit darker but still yummy. Used walnuts as hemp seeds too expensive. Served with spaghetti squash. Very tasty!
I made this kale pesto with a large bag of frozen kale thawed (3 cups), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and hemp seeds with Jovial gluten free spaghetti for dinner last night. It was a hit! I accidentally added too much pepper, which gave it a lil kick. We adults loved it, but the kick made it โtoo spicyโ for my kid. This made enough for leftovers. I canโt wait to eat it again!
Note: I have MCAS with Histamine Intolerance and Gluten Intolerance.
This was great! Didnโt use parm and I didnโt have kale so I used SuperGreens (tat soi, arugula, spinach and swiss chard) and it came out very tasty. Used it on your quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes and kale (had to save my kale for the salad!). Thanks for another delicious and healthy recipe!