Posted by Renée Leonard-Stainton on 21 November 2012 - 4:16pm

Kale & Walnut Pesto Recipe

Pesto might just be one of my all-time favourite condiments, but store-bought varieties are often loaded with preservatives (lemon juice does the trick naturally just fine thank you very much!). With parmesan cheese as a key ingredient, they're not ideal for vegans or those with dairy sensitivities either. My version is sans the cheese (but not the flavour) and ups the nutritional ante with the addition of superfood kale and nutritional yeast (sometimes called yeast flakes). Hey presto, delissimo!

Method

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender (I use a Vitamix)
Process until the desired texture is achieved (I quite like it to still have chunks of the walnuts in place)
You can add more olive oil to create a runnier texture...perfect for drizzling over pasta, salads or pizzas!
If you don't have access to kale, no problemo, spinach will work just fine too.

Ingredients

Serves 10

2 cups kale leaves, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1 large fresh garlic clove, smashed and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted
¼ cup of nutritional yeast
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Nutrition Bite

Kale - This dark, leafy green is rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes including vitamins K, A, C, and E, as well as magnesium, fiber and calcium. Kale contains high amounts of beta-carotene, iron and folate. It's also packed with fibre, which improves digestive health and helps you feel full. A cup of cooked kale provides more than half the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C!

Comments

Kimee - 25 November 2012 - 7:50pm

Hey Renee,
Thanks for the recipe! Do you know where to buy nutritional yeast flakes in Australia.. more specifically Melbourne? I've been looking for it but haven't had any luck.

Cheers x

Renée Leonard-Stainton - 29 November 2012 - 4:14pm

Hi Kimee,

Maybe try Whole Foods in Bridge road, Richmond? Sorry not so familiar with Melbourne suppliers, but even some supermarkeys have them (they're usually on the lower shelves) Good luck! x

Leah - 27 November 2012 - 3:18pm

Ahhh, this is such a good idea! I love my kale and love it even more that i know it has so much vitamin C in it. Will keep feeding it to my kids who've been getting a few colds this season (I live in Canada so it's cold here :(

Renée Leonard-Stainton - 29 November 2012 - 4:15pm

Hi Leah, awesome to hear that you little ones love kale too! Definitely feed them loads of kale to help boost their immune systems! x

Timothy H - 29 November 2012 - 3:20pm

Hi Renee. Just found your site and really like the look of the recipes (I've recently been diagnosed as gluten and dairy intolerant). Is yeast flakes the same as the yeast sachets you would buy to make bread? Thank you, Timothy

Renée Leonard-Stainton - 29 November 2012 - 4:16pm

Hi Timothy. Yeast flakes are different (also called nutritional yeast) but will usually be in the same aisle as bread yeast in the super market. If not, they are usually available from most health stores. Good luck! x

Michelle - 9 November 2014 - 12:12am

Lovely recipe! May I ask how long would this keep in the refrigerator?

Renée Leonard-Stainton - 10 November 2014 - 1:37pm

Hi Michelle, I would keep it in the fridge for up to 10 days as it is naturally preserved with the lemon juice x

Add new comment