Easy Kale Pesto With Almonds & Parmesan is a traditional pesto sauce recipe with a twist. Instead of basil, this pesto uses fresh kale with wholesome almonds, garlic, parmesan, and lemon juice. It’s perfect on gluten free pasta, or even as an appetizer over fresh mozzarella!

kale pesto

This post is sponsored by Dorot, but the thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Easy Kale Pesto With Almonds & Parmesan

Here it is, the perfect kale pesto recipe! I promise, even if you’re not sure that you’re a kale fan, you need to give this a try. It tastes like a combination of creamy nutty cheesy herbs, and tangy lemon. The kale is more like a healthy carrier of the deliciousness.

It’s fresh, green, and fast, all of my favorite things. And, it uses healthy fats like olive oil and almonds, along with flavorful garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. I love making this to go with some gluten free pasta. I also serve it drizzled over appetizers at parties, like fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, or Portobello mushrooms.

https://youtu.be/El_PouVzcvg

 

kale pesto

Kale Pesto is also the most beautiful accompaniment to my Baked Parmesan Turkey Meatballs, if you’re really feeling the whole Italian dinner thing tonight. Personally, I love adding some good protein to my meals, even if it does take a little bit more effort. You could also pour this kale pesto over some chicken breasts, and bake them in the oven for a seriously delicious – and easy! – dinner. Or, dare I say it, drizzled over mozzarella and tomatoes on a gluten free pizza crust!

Ok, now we’re getting crazy here. I love it!

kale pesto

For this recipe, I’m going extra easy skipping the whole chopping garlic thing, and instead using the Dorot Crushed Garlic tray. Seriously, if you’re not a fan of chopping up your herbs or garlic (ahem – is anyone else as familiar with garlic hands as I am?), then you should definitely get familiar with this stuff. They take it straight from the farm, and chop and freeze it right away so it’s pretty much as fresh as it gets. All you have to do is pop a cube out into whatever you’re cooking, and voila!

I found mine in the frozen section at Whole Foods! They also have other herbs, too. I couldn’t resist myself, so picked up some basil for another day.

kale pesto

1 cube = 1 clove of chopped garlic. So, all the benefits of garlic, no garlic hands afterwards!

Glorious!

kale pesto

Dorot also has other herbs, like basil. If you’d like to skip the parsley in this recipe – or if you find it easier than keeping fresh herbs on hand – you can use about 4 basil cubes in parsley’s place.

Let’s talk about how fast this is to make. Don’t get me wrong, I love things like marinara sauce as much as the next person. But today is all about fresh, fast, green sauces. It’s kind of like my own little homage to spring. The most delicious homage there is, one might say.

kale pesto

I love to jar this up, because it’ll last in the refrigerator for about a week. You can also take a page out of Dorot’s book and freeze this in ice-cube trays, and just pull them out in portions. Frozen lasts a few months, but to be honest they never really last that long in my house, because we eat them too fast!

kale pesto

kale pesto

Easy Kale Pesto With Almonds & Parmesan

Easy Kale Pesto With Almonds & Parmesan is a traditional pesto sauce recipe with a twist. Instead of basil, this pesto uses fresh kale with wholesome almonds, garlic, parmesan, and lemon juice. It's perfect on gluten free pasta, or even as an appetizer over fresh mozzarella!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 cups fresh kale, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3/4 cup parmesan, grated
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • food processor

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a large food processor. Puree until all ingredients are combined and become a thick paste. 

Notes

Great on pasta, pizza, or on sandwiches!
*Use more olive oil as needed*

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mg (1%)Sodium: 81mg (4%)Potassium: 95mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 1450IU (29%)Vitamin C: 18mg (22%)Calcium: 84mg (8%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish and tag #dishingdelish!

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