Breastfeeding Friendly Vegan Kale Pesto with Lemon Zest
Bright, herby, and packed with nutrient-dense ingredients, this dairy-free pesto is a brilliant way to work more greens into your meals without sacrificing any of the bold, satisfying flavor you'd expect from a classic sauce. Kale brings a serious nutritional punch — iron, calcium, and folate — while fresh basil keeps things aromatic and vibrant. Nutritional yeast steps in for parmesan, delivering that savory, umami depth along with B vitamins that are especially valuable when your body is working overtime to nourish a little one. The lemon juice and zest cut right through the richness of the olive oil and pine nuts, giving the whole thing a fresh, zippy finish that makes it taste anything but heavy. Toasting the pine nuts first is a small step that makes a big difference, coaxing out a warm, buttery flavor that ties everything together. Toss it with pasta, spread it on toast, swirl it into soups, or use it as a dip — this pesto is endlessly versatile and comes together in minutes with just a food processor. Make a jar on Sunday and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 3 cups packed curly or lacinato kale leaves, stems removed and roughly torn
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp water, as needed to loosen (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer immediately to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Add the kale, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the greens are finely chopped and the mixture looks uniformly crumbly.
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