Italian Kale, By Any Other Name.
If we’re going to make a classic Italian sauce with kale, it seems only fitting that we’d use Italian kale to at least pay homage to the home country of the classic sauce that inspired this vegan pesto recipe. Not all kale is created equal, and we particularly love Italian kale because this cruciferous vegetable is a little less bitter than some other varieties of kale, and the leaves are nicely tender, too. This type of kale is also very widely available and easy to find—however, it goes by quite a few different names, so be on the lookout! Italian kale is also known as Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, lacinato kale, black kale and cavolo nero—phew! Slightly nutty and even sweet, this many-monikered kale pairs perfectly with mild, earthy walnuts and grassy fresh parsley—a deeply-flavorful winter pesto to carry you through until basil season hits again.
How to Make Vegan Pesto:
While some might argue that calling this sauce a “pesto” without the traditional ingredient of fresh basil is blasphemy, we feel like a green and herby sauce like this—rich with honey-colored olive oil and walnuts—certainly counts. After all, the word “pesto” comes from the Italian verb “pestare”, which simply means to pound or grind. And that’s precisely the process for making this vegan pesto recipe! Simply combine all of this in a food processor and use it to make our Pesto Spaghetti!
- Italian kale.
- Fresh parsley
- Nutritional yeast
- Walnuts
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic cloves
- Salt
- Olive oil
Tools You’ll Need:
- Food processor or blender. While the classic pesto tool is a mortar and pestle, our kale pesto recipe would require some major (and we mean major) elbow grease to grind the kale into a sauce-like paste that one could count as pesto sauce.
- Sharp knife.
- Cutting board.
- Measuring spoons.
- Liquid measure.
Other Vegan Sauces To Try:
We’re pretty excited about the fact that this dairy free pesto is as delicious as it is healthy and inclusive—there aren’t many people who can’t eat this lovely yummy, vibrant walnut pesto sauce. Here are a couple of our other favorite vegan sauces, dressings and dips to liven up just about any meal:
Kale-Walnut Pesto—Surprise Hit?
Snap a photo of your finished walnut-kale pesto, and show us how you served it! Over vegan pesto pasta? Or slathered on a sandwich? Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproperand #themodernproperso we can see how you pesto! Happy eating!
There are so many great ways to receive all of our latest recipes, meal tips, and inspiration.