Paraben 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, buttery depth, while fresh basil keeps things aromatic and lively — and the lemon juice and zest pull it all together with a citrusy lift that cuts right through the richness of the olive oil. Nutritional yeast steps in to deliver that savory, cheesy quality without any dairy, making this a genuinely satisfying plant-based alternative to the classic. For anyone navigating paraben sensitivities, this recipe is a smart choice because every ingredient is whole and unprocessed — no jarred sauces, no preservative-laden shortcuts, just real food blended together. Many store-bought pestos and condiments contain additives and preservatives that can be tricky to vet, so making your own from scratch puts you fully in control of what goes into the jar. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting, and the whole process comes together quickly with minimal cleanup. Spoon it over pasta, swipe it onto flatbread, or stir it into roasted vegetables — this pesto is endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating.
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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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