Walnut Kale Pesto
Walnut Kale Pesto that’s super easy and packed with superfoods! It’s delicious on sandwiches, eggs, in wraps or drizzled over pizza.
Pesto is such an easy way to add flavor and a special touch to otherwise very ordinary meals like sandwiches, wraps and eggs. And while yes, you can buy it pre-made and it can be pretty decent, making it from scratch is surprisingly easy. You can also rest easy knowing it’s free of preservatives and made with produce you hand-picked yourself. Let’s make it!
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Ingredients in walnut kale pesto
- Walnuts – I buy raw + unsalted and toast them myself.
- Kale – It’s super abundant in my composting garden right now.
- Fresh basil – it grows great in my Aerogarden!
- Avocado oil
- Lemon
- Garlic – If you’re looking for a low-acid pesto, try this pesto without garlic recipe instead
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan cheese
See, how short that list is? Love it!
Can I use olive oil in this pesto instead?
Maybe? I hesitate because olive oil often has a bitter, overpowering flavor that can mess up a good pesto or homemade salad dressing. I much prefer using avocado as it has a neutral flavor that doesn’t overpower. It just does its job of balancing out acidity and emulsifying to give the pesto a creamy texture. But you can try it if you have a good olive oil that you enjoy the taste of!
How to make it
First, toast the walnuts. If you’re wondering if you really need to toast nuts when making pesto, the answer is yes! It brings out the flavor of the nuts so much and will enhance the flavor of your pesto!
Place walnuts in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Or until you start to smell the walnuts. As soon as you smell them, remove them from the pan and place them on parchment or a paper towel so they don’t burn.
Massage the kale. By that I mean, just take the leaves between your fingers and gently rub back and forth.
Why should I massage kale?
Massaging the kale is thought to release bitter compounds in the vegetable, thus resulting in a less bitter and more tender kale. You can actually feel and see the difference once its massaged and it really doesn’t take long.
Now for the easy part! Combine everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Where to enjoy this walnut kale pesto
You can of course just eat this on your favorite pasta for a simple, healthy and quick lunch! But this pesto is also delicious on a turkey sandwich, eggs and pizza!
How long does homemade pesto last in the fridge?
You will want to enjoy this pesto recipe within 7 days if stored in the fridge. You can freeze it (in a freezer-safe container) for up to 6 months. Before placing in the freezer, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the pesto to prevent excess browning.
To thaw, take it out at least a day prior to when you want to use it and store in the fridge. Or you can quickly defrost in the microwave. Microwave on defrost and take it out and stir intermittently until thawed.
Tried this recipe?
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you!
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Walnut Kale Pesto
This pesto is packed with superfoods and so tasty. Perfect for sandwichs, wraps, eggs and more!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 34 cup 1x
- Category: Condiment, Sauce
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw, unsalted walnuts
- 2 cups kale (about 1-2 large leaves)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (takes about 2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place walnuts in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Cook about 5 minutes, until the walnuts begin to smell. Remove immediately from the pan and place on papper towel or parchment paper.
- Cut kale leaf from stalk and roughly chop. Massage the kale by rubbing pieces between your fingers.
- Add kale, walnuts, lemon juice, oil, basil, salt, pepper and parmesan to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator and enjoy within 7 days.
This pesto was amazing! Great recipe 👍🏼