Oats Free Vegan Kale Pesto with Lemon Zest
Bright, garlicky, and packed with leafy greens, this vegan kale pesto is the kind of sauce that makes you want to put it on absolutely everything. Toasted pine nuts bring a rich, buttery depth, while fresh basil and curly kale create a bold, herbaceous base that feels far more interesting than anything you'd grab off a store shelf. Nutritional yeast steps in for the parmesan you'd find in a classic pesto, delivering that savory, umami punch without any dairy — and it works beautifully. A hit of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest lifts the whole thing, keeping it bright and vibrant rather than heavy. The food processor does most of the work, and streaming in the olive oil at the end gives you that thick, glossy, spoonable consistency that clings perfectly to pasta, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free from oats and oat-derived products, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved — just clean, straightforward cooking. Make a jar on the weekend 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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