Kale Almond Vegan Pesto + 3 Recipes
Serve with everything, literally! This pesto is amazing spread on matzo, as a garnish for steak or even as your go-to salad dressing. The kale and almonds add tons of nutrition to this beyond delicious all-purpose pesto.
To get the best results use a great quality extra virgin olive oil, we love Colavita.
- Duration
- Prep Time
- 2 cupsServings
Ingredients
Kale Almond Vegan Pesto
- 1 cup dry roasted (unsalted) almonds
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale, tough stems removed
- 1 cup tightly packed basil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, such as Colavita
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pesto Baked Salmon
- 4 8-ounce salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup pesto
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Pesto Quinoa Israeli Salad
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup diced red peppers
- 1 cup pesto
- 1 cup pesto
Pesto Zoodles
- 1 cup pesto
- 3 medium zucchinis, spiralized or peeled with a julienne peeler
- ¼ cup finely ground almonds
- Flaky sea salt
Preparation
For the Pesto:
1. Place almonds in a food process and process for thirty seconds until coarsely ground.
2. Add kale, basil, garlic, oil salt and pepper and process in thirty second intervals, until pesto comes together. We prefer chunky, but if you like a smooth pesto, process a bit longer.
3. Store pesto in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When storing, drizzle a ½-inch layer of oil over top of pesto to keep it bright green and prevent browning.
Baked Salmon Option:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place salmon, skin-side down on a well-greased baking dish large enough to hold the fillets without touching.
2. Squeeze lemon juice over salmon, brush pesto over salmon fillets, surround pan with cherry tomatoes and bake at 425°F for 8 minutes.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pesto Quinoa Israeli Salad:
1. Mix quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.
2. Whisk pesto and lemon juice to create a pesto-dressing.
3. Toss veg and quinoa with dressing.
4. Serve as a side salad or side dish.
Pesto Zoodles
1. Heat a saute 12-inch saute pan over medium heat.
2. Once pan is hot, lower heat to the lowest setting and add pesto. Cook for one minute just until pesto is warmed through.
3. Using spaghetti tongs, mix spiralized zucchini into pesto. Cook for 4 minutes.
4. Serve warm topped with ground almonds and flaky sea salt.
