Carrageenan Free Vegan Kale Pesto with Lemon Zest
Bright, garlicky, and packed with leafy greens, this kale pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. Toasted pine nuts add a warm, nutty depth, while fresh basil keeps things aromatic and lively — and a hit of lemon juice plus zest lifts the whole blend into something genuinely craveable. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, almost cheesy richness without any dairy, so the sauce is completely plant-based from start to finish. For anyone avoiding carrageenan, store-bought vegan pestos and dairy-free cheeses can be a minefield of thickeners and stabilizers hiding in the ingredient list. This one is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients — nothing processed, nothing suspicious — so you know exactly what you're eating. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting, and the slow stream of olive oil at the end brings it all together into a thick, glossy sauce that holds its shape beautifully on a spoon. Add a splash of water if you want it a little looser for tossing with pasta or drizzling over roasted vegetables. It keeps well in a jar and tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to settle in.
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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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