Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe – How to make easy homemade paleo & vegetarian friendly pesto with kale and cashews.
Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe
I love using pesto in all kinds of veggie recipes. After buying bottle after bottle of vegan pesto recently, I thought I’d make my own since I had a massive bag of kale in the fridge that was crying out to be used.
Vegan Pesto Ingredients
There are so many delicious variations when making vegan pesto that you can really mix and match and try a different version every week and still not get bored of the nutritious sauce.
Greens
You can choose to include your green leafy vegetable of choice. Here are some ideas:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Basil
- Mint
Nuts
You can throw the nuts straight into the blender or you can lightly toast them in a frying pan first. Also, you can opt for a single nut or a selection of nuts in your pesto. Here are some ideas:
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Pine Nuts
- Pistachio Nuts
- Hazelnuts
Oil
I opted for extra virgin olive oil, but you can really use whatever oil you like. Start with less than you think you’ll need, blend your pesto and then add more until it’s creamy to your liking.
Cheese Alternative
Traditionally, pesto includes pesto or another non vegan/vegetarian cheese. You can include nutritional yeast or a dairy free cheese alternative instead, for the cheesy flavour.
More Ingredient Ideas
Here are even more ideas for ingredient to include in your homemade vegan pesto:
- Lemon or Lime – zest or juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Spirulina or a super greens powder
- Salt, Pepper & Seasoning, to taste
Vegan Pesto Uses
Here are some ideas for ways to enjoy this vegan kale pesto:
- Spread on bread/toast/sandwiches
- With pasta/zucchini noodles
- As a pizza topping/spread
- Blend into soup
- Add to roast vegetables
- Add to a salad or salad dressing
Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe
- 1 to 2 Cups Kale, washed
- 1/3 Cup Cashews
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 to 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Place all of the ingredients into a high speed blender, food processor or set up with a stick/immersion blender.
- Blend until smooth, stopping along the way to carefully scrape down the sides to ensure all the ingredients are fully blended.
- Enjoy straight away – raw or cooked. Store in the fridge and use within a few days.
This easy vegan pesto is super flavourful and simple to make that you’ll never want to buy bottled again!
Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 Cups Kale, washed
- 1/3 Cup Cashews
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 to 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a high speed blender, food processor or set up with a stick/immersion blender.
- Blend until smooth, stopping along the way to carefully scrape down the sides to ensure all the ingredients are fully blended.
- Enjoy straight away - raw or cooked. Store in the fridge and use within a few days.
More Easy Vegan Recipes:
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse
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