kale walnut pesto

Maybe you have already tried kale pesto. Maybe not. I know I hadn't until recently. It was late in the week and I was scourging the fridge for something good to make for dinner. My first thought was steamed kale over brown rice. But no, this was much too blah. I needed something more exciting and with better texture. I called out to Mike, asking him what he thought about trying kale pesto - he answered with his usual response - "sounds good to me". I swear that boy would eat any concoction I cooked up - and with a smile (how did I get so lucky?).

And so, the cooking adventure began.

I am not sure why, but I chose to skip out on pine nuts and use walnuts instead. What a fabulous thought this was, as it paired perfectly with the kale, making the pesto more hearty and rustic. I also used walnut oil in place of olive oil, which made it that much more divine. I get my walnuts and walnut oil from Rancho La Vina - check out their stand on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market - they also have yummy spiced nuts for special occasions. The cocoa spiced nuts are my absolute favorite. Beware because they are mega addicting. You cannot just have one. My mom frequently purchases a bag to put out in a bowl at her dinner parties and they are always a hit.

The kale was a mixture of dino and curly leaf varieties from Tom Shepherd Farms. Tom has some of the best kale, dried beans, strawberries, arugula, carrots, and artichokes at the Saturday market - I would definitely recommend checking out all of his offerings next time you are there.


Kale is a powerhouse of nutrients. Not only is it a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, but it is also a very good source of vitamin K and C, calcium, and beta carotene. I wanted to ensure that my meal had the most nutrient availability possible, so I decided not to cook the pesto. Cooking kale and other leafy greens can cause them to loose much of their nutrients. If you do cook kale, be sure not to cook it longer than 4-5 minutes to ensure most of the nutrients are preserved. For this recipe, I simply mixed it in with the cooked pasta right before serving. 

kale walnut pesto

makes about 1 cup

1 large bunch of kale (one or more varieties)
2-3 tbsp cold-pressed or freshly toasted walnut oil [do not heat the oil too much or it will go rancid!]
1/3 cup walnuts
3-4 garlic cloves

sea salt

Remove kale leaves from stem. Wash thoroughly. Spin dry in salad spinner or pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.

In your food processor, add garlic and blend until finely chopped. Add walnuts and repeat. You may need to use a spoon or spatula to push down the bits that cling to the sides of the bowl so it mixes completely.

Add walnut oil 1 tbsp at a time until you reach a paste-like texture of garlic, walnuts and oil. Add 1 tsp sea salt and blend.

By handfuls, add kale to food processor, blending each handful until mixture is smooth. You may need to add a bit more walnut oil if it becomes too dry. Just add a little at a time, keeping the texture smooth but not too oily.

Taste and add a bit more sea salt if necessary.

Mix into pasta, drizzle on soups or over meatballs, slather on toasted bread, or use it to top grilled salmon or roast chicken and vegetables. It would also be excellent in place of tomato sauce on pizza. Or just experiment as you like - be sure to let me know how you served it!

NOTE: the pesto will be a little strong, but the flavors will mellow once it is tossed with you warm dish.  Leaving it raw increases the nutrition ten-fold and keeps the walnut oil from going rancid.