Paleo Kale & Herb Pesto
This vibrant green pesto skips the cheese and pine nuts entirely, leaning on kale, fresh basil, and parsley to build a sauce that's deeply herby and satisfying without any dairy or legumes. A quick blanch keeps the kale bright and mellows any bitterness, so the flavor stays fresh and clean rather than grassy or sharp. Garlic, lemon juice, and a touch of turmeric give it a bold, layered complexity that you'd never guess came together in under ten minutes. The optional fresh ginger adds a subtle warmth that makes the whole thing feel a little unexpected in the best way. Streaming in good extra-virgin olive oil is what pulls it all together into a thick, spoonable paste with real body and richness. Use it as a dip, toss it with zucchini noodles, spread it over grilled chicken, or stir it into roasted vegetables — it's the kind of versatile sauce that earns permanent fridge 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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