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You are here: Home / Recipes by Category / Sauces/Spreads/Dressings / Kale and Walnut Pesto

Kale and Walnut Pesto

May 25, 2020

Last modified on June 6th, 2020

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bowl of pesto and a slice of bread with pesto on top
White bowl of pesto with a spoon and bread slices in the background
White bowl of pesto with a spoon and bread slices in the background

Everyone loves Homemade Pesto, but this Kale and Walnut Pesto is truly a treasure.  Alive with fresh, bright, herby flavor, this will be your new favorite pesto recipe!


White bowl of pesto with a spoon and bread slices in the background

Question:  When you open a jar of pesto, do you take a deep, slow inhale, smile, and dream about how amazing dinner is going to be?

If your answer is yes, we homies, and you are going to flip for this creative take on Homemade Pesto.  It is hands down the best pesto, store-bought or homemade, I have ever made, with a smell so amazing I might have chased my kids around the kitchen with it yelling,

“Just smell it, I promise you'll love it!  This isn't like the fish sauce trick!  Just smell it!!!”

My daughter gave in and she proclaimed, “That is heavenly!  Let's make twisted breadsticks with it!”  Which we did, and they were to die for, of course.

Can she just be my sous chef for life?

WHY YOU WILL LOVE EASY HOMEMADE KALE PESTO

  • The level of fresh, herby, bright flavor is like nothing you can find in a store.  Basil brings home the traditional pesto flavor, kale makes it earthy, and the addition of arugula gives it an ever so slight kick.  Truly a magical marriage of flavors!
  • How many times do you buy a big container of kale then stare at the leftovers unsure of what to do?  Well, here ya go, PESTO!
  • Walnuts!  I love the flavor the walnuts give this pesto, but you can swap with just about any nut.  Bonus: walnuts are MUCH more affordable than the traditional pine nuts.
  • Not excessively oily.  I like my pesto thick with just enough oil to bring it together vs store-bought pestos that tend to be very oily and loose.
  • Fresh pesto instantly brightens any dish.  There's no such thing as a boring dinner with pesto on the table!

HOW TO MAKE PESTO AT HOME

  1. Add everything but the oil to a food processor (or blender) and start the processor
  2. Stream the oil into the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency
  3. That's it, you're done!

step by step collage of how to make pesto in a food processor

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST HOMEMADE PESTO

  • Go light on the salt!  Your food processor will be very full when you add the ingredients and a 1/2 teaspoon might not seem like much.  The mixture reduces down a TON once everything is blended so wait until that point to taste and season some more if needed.  Trust me, I've made this mistake . . . twice, ugh.
  • I love the mixture of basil, kale, and arugula, but use what you have on hand!  Swap kale for spinach, add extra basil, parsley maybe?  Experimenting with pesto greens is one of my favorite past times 🙂
  • I love using walnuts because they are more budget-friendly than pine nuts, but feel free to use a little creative freedom here as well.  Pistachios, pecans, almonds, etc, they all work!
  • If you prefer a milder, sweet garlic flavor, use roasted garlic.  I like to bring home scoops of it from grocery store olive bars and freeze it.  This is the only way I use garlic anymore, it's my favorite kitchen hack!  Of course, you can always roast your own garlic too.
  • Don't half the recipe.  From my experience, if you don't have enough bulk in the food processor, it doesn't blend very well.
  • Pesto freezes perfectly; another reason to refrain from halving the recipe.  See below on how I like to freeze pesto.

bowl of pesto and a slice of bread with pesto on top

HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE HOMEMADE KALE PESTO

  • Store: Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in a sealed container.
  • Freeze:  Freeze pesto flat in freezer safe ziplock bag for quicker thawing.  If you want the option of using just a little at a time, line a sheet pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper and place 1-2 tablespoon scoops of pesto on top.  Freeze, then place in a bag for another day.  This is a great way to use only what you need without thawing an entire bag of pesto.  An ice cube tray also works well for freezing portion sizes, especially if your pesto is more loose.

VARIATIONS OF KALE PESTO

  • Traditional Basil Pesto:  For a strong, traditional pesto flavor, use basil in place of all the greens and pine nuts in place of the walnuts.
  • Mexican Style Pesto:  Use cilantro for your greens, add a stemmed jalapeno, and use lime juice instead of lemon juice.  Slather all over tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc!
  • Oil-Free Pesto:  Swap the oil for water.  It sounds weird, I know, but it works!
  • Creamy Pesto:  Add yogurt, softened cream cheese, or a pureed avocado to make your pesto creamy.  This is a great way to use your pesto as a dressing, pasta sauce, sandwich spread, etc.

White bowl of pesto with a spoon and bread slices in the background

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PESTO WITHOUT A FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER

Making pesto without a food processor or blender is a little more work, but completely doable!  Here are two options:

  • Mortal and Pestle:  Roughly chop your greens and nuts, then use the mortar and pestle to grind all of the ingredients into a smoother consistency.  You may have to do this in batches.  Add it to a bowl and stir in the olive oil.
  • Chop, Chop, Chop:  Use a sharp knife to finely chop all of the ingredients (this will take a good 10-15 minutes).  Add olive oil and stir to combine.
  • Mash it Up:  If you want an even smoother texture after you've finely diced all of the ingredients, place the pesto in a sturdy ziplock bag.  Remove all the air and seal shut.  Use a mason jar or rolling pin to mash all the ingredients into a smoother consistency.

mason jar of pesto sauce with a spoon and lemon

WAYS TO USE HOMEMADE PESTO 

  • Add it to pasta dishes to add an extra punch of flavor.
  • Use it as a dip for Breadsticks, Focaccia Bread, or Homemade Crusty Artisan Bread.
  • Use it as a sandwich or burger spread.  Mixed with a little mayo, this is AMAZING!
  • Use it as the “sauce” on a pizza.  Top it with fresh mozzarella and slices of tomato.

How do you use your homemade pesto?  I'd love to hear your ideas!

Get your Kale Walnut Pesto ready ASAP!  I've got new Instant Pot recipes coming soon that will star this exact recipe.  I can't wait for you to try it out!

Do you make your own pesto?  Do you agree that it's the most heavenly condiment on the face of the earth?

slice of bread with pesto on top

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE HOMEMADE KALE PESTO

  • Food Processor – I have a Magimix and a Breville and I love them both
  • High Speed Blender (if you don't own a food processor)
Print

Kale and Walnut Pesto

White bowl of pesto with a spoon and bread slices in the background

Bright, lemony fresh Homemade Pesto that can be whipped up in just a few minutes!

  • Author: Marci
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Spread
  • Method: Food Processor
  • Cuisine: Italian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups packed baby arugula
  • 2 cups packed baby kale
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ – ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. To the bowl of a food processor add walnuts, garlic, arugula, kale, basil, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Start blending and with the motor running, slowly add oil until it’s the consistency you like.
  2. Scrape the bowl down.  Taste and add extra salt or lemon juice if needed.  Pulse a few more times to combine.
  3. Pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Freezes well.

Notes

  • The combination of arugula and kale give this pesto a unique, delicious flavor.  Feel free to switch up the greens with what you have on hand, just don’t omit the basil if you want the classic pesto flavor.   
  • Walnuts can be substituted with pecans, pine nuts, or almonds.
  • Pesto stores great in the freezer.  Store flat in a freezer safe bag or in an ice cube tray for smaller servings.

Keywords: Homemade pesto, walnut pesto, kale pesto

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Tags: arugula, basil, garlic, kale, lemon, olive oil, parmesan cheese, walnuts
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kat says

    June 6, 2020

    I can’t WAIT to make this today! Heading to the store right now ! 🙂 I am just IN LOVE with all of your recipes AND my Instant Pot because of you! <3 I do have a question, what other green substitutions do you suggest? I have a garden full of various lettuces, but up above you suggest "swap the kale for pesto"? Like a different pesto? I'm all in with the kale, even though it's not my favorite usually, but just curious about another swap besides basil. Thank you sooooo much! <3

    Reply
    • Marci says

      June 6, 2020

      Kat, pesto and hummus in one week? There’s been some good food at your house! Thank you for the kind words, it really just makes my world to know people are finding joy in food at home. And dang, that was a total typo, sorry about that! I fixed it, you can use spinach instead of kale.

      Reply
  2. MARY HAASCH says

    May 25, 2020

    The food processors you mentioned come in different sizes of the bowls from 12 to 16 cups. You also mentioned “Don’t half the recipe. From my experience, if you don’t have enough bulk in the food processor, it doesn’t blend very well.” Which begs the question of which size bowl did you use for this recipe? Also, I only own a small food processor. In that case is it OK to half or even quarter the recipe?

    Reply
    • Marci says

      May 26, 2020

      Mary, I always put my pesto in the main base, so in my Breville, the 16 cups base. If your food processor is smaller, halving it should work great!

      Reply

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