Hemp Seed & Kale Pesto

Posted by Reinaldo Massengill on Monday, April 29, 2024

An easy 5-ingredient homemade Kale Pesto. Great for fall and winter, this recipe is vegan, gluten-, nut- & dairy-free. Serve on pasta or your favorite dish!

vegan / gluten free

Kale & Hemp Seed Pesto

I freaking love pesto. I make it all the time – usually with any herbs, greens, nuts, or seeds I have around. I like to swirl it into my soups, top it onto my eggs, or dollop it onto big salad-ey grain bowls. While there are one or two (or twelve) pesto recipes on this site already, I really love this version, so I think there’s room for one more.

Before I started the blog, I would have never imagined just how many people are allergic to nuts. So in the spirit of the healthy new year, this tasty pesto is dairy-free, gluten-free (obviously), and nut-free with omega-rich hemp seeds in place of the nuts. It’s also basil-free because, well, it’s winter and basil is hard to find.

Make this and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days – put it on anything & everything (or use it in one of these recipes!)

5.0 from 13 reviews

Hemp Seed & Kale Pesto

  PrintAuthor: Serves: about 1 cupIngredients
  • ½ cup hemp seeds (I like Happy Hemp)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 cups chopped kale leaves
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  • Pulse the hemp seeds and garlic in a food processor. Add the kale and pulse again.
  • Add the lemon juice and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper and pulse again.
  • While the blade is running, drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape the sides of the food processor, if necessary, and pulse again. Season to taste.
    • NotesKale can vary in bitterness - if your pesto is a little too bitter for you, add a drop of honey (or maple, if you're vegan). If it tastes a little too raw for you, (and you do cheese) you can add parmesan or pecorino cheese to make it richer. Occasionally, I like to add ¼ teaspoon of good dijon mustard for a extra flavor.3.2.2925
     

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