Kale, Spinach and Basil Pesto
Try this kale, spinach and basil pesto recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this kale, spinach and basil pesto recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups spinach lightly packed
- 1 cup kale rinsed and de-stemed lightly packed - roughly 2 large leaves or 3 small leaves
- 1 cup basil lightly packed - roughly 14-15 basil leaves
- 3/4 cup unsalted raw whole almonds lightly toasted - i show you how to toast them below. toasted almonds adds tons of flavor and a chunky texture to the pesto. you could also try toasted walnuts, but i haven't tried that yet!
- 1/4 cup parmesan or asiago cheese - i used parmesan
- 3 large cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- Carbohydrate 1.4877 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 13.5225000172016 g
- Fiber 0.0944999957084656 g
- Protein 0.2862 g
- Saturated Fat 1.8680850023752 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cup (20g)
- Sodium 582.405000000344 mg
- Sugar 1.39320000429153 g
- Trans Fat 0.372375000465819 g
- Calories 126 calories
Step-by-step
- First off, let's toast up the almonds. You can do this ahead of time to save a step. If you're toasting them up at the same time you're making the pesto, then you will want to give them at least 10-15 minutes to cool down, so they don't heat up the pesto. I usually toast up the almonds ahead of time and then reserve them in a covered glass container till I need them.
- Set a dry (no oil here) skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the almonds and stir frequently until they start to brown and smell toasted. Remove them from the heat and the skillet, (as they will continue to cook in the skillet) and let them cool. Don't let them burn, you just want them to be lightly toasted and lightly browned.
- Get our your food processor, mini prep or blender.
- Place the ingredients into the food processor. If you have a mini-prep then you may have to spilt the ingredients into 2 batches.
- Process until smooth. You will have to use a spatula once or twice during the process to make sure that everything gets combined! The pesto will not be entirely smooth, but somewhat chunky in texture from the almonds. Chunky in a good way though!
- Transfer the pesto to a small sealed container, pack it down into the container (it's best to keep the pesto all compact in a small container) and store it in the fridge if not using a right away. This pesto will keep for several days in the fridge.
- I always use my 8-ounce mason jars to store my pesto.
Can a food processor really break down fibrous raw kale and tough almond skins without turning the sauce into a bitter puree? Achieving the right consistency depends heavily on mechanical shearing force and thermal control. When toasted almonds are added warm, their residual heat can cook the delicate basil leaves, dulling their vibrant green chlorophyll into a muddy olive drab. Cooling those toasted nuts completely before processing protects both color and volatile aromatic compounds.
Equipment Selection and Workarounds
Standard heavy-duty food processors handle this dense mixture easily, but smaller mini-prep attachments require splitting the ingredients into two separate batches to prevent motor strain and uneven chopping. Scrape down the bowl sides once or twice using a rubber spatula to ensure the unblended leaves near the top reach the rotating blades. If using a high-speed blender instead of a processor, pulse carefully rather than running it continuously to retain the characteristic chunky texture provided by the nuts.
Fresh Versus Preserved Elements
Fresh garlic cloves deliver potent allicin compounds that provide sharp pungency, whereas pre-minced jarred alternatives rely on citric acid preservation, which flattens the bright punch of the lemon juice. Raw whole almonds offer natural oils that emulsify with the olive oil when sheared mechanically. Storing the finished green sauce tightly packed in an airtight mason jar minimizes air exposure, limiting oxidation that turns bright green leaves brown over several days in the refrigerator.
