Honey Free Kale & Herb Pesto
This vibrant green pesto packs serious flavor into every spoonful, layering earthy kale with fragrant basil, bright parsley, and a hit of lemon that makes the whole thing sing. A quick blanch keeps the kale tender and locks in that gorgeous color, so the final result looks just as good as it tastes. Garlic, turmeric, and optional fresh ginger add warmth and depth that take this well beyond your standard herb sauce. Many store-bought pestos and flavored condiments sneak in sweeteners you might not expect, but every ingredient here is straightforward and savory — nothing hidden, nothing sweet. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting, and streaming in the olive oil slowly is the simple trick that brings it all together into a thick, spoonable paste with real texture. Use it tossed through pasta, spread on toast, dolloped over roasted vegetables, or stirred into soups — it's the kind of versatile sauce that earns a permanent spot in your weekly rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups curly or lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves roughly torn
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a small skillet of water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale leaves and blanch for 30 seconds, until bright green and just wilted. Drain immediately and transfer to a bowl of ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking, then squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands.
- 2
Combine the blanched kale, basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, turmeric, and ginger (if using) in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
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