Vegan Kale Cashew Pesto Sauce

The Ultimate Kale Cashew Pesto Recipe - Delicious and Nutritious!

A vegan pesto sauce recipe made from superfood kale, and creamy cashews, with a traditional pesto touch of fresh basil.

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse and cashews are incredibly versatile, so why not combine the two in a delicious and nutritious vegan pesto? This kale cashew pesto recipe is a delicious and easy way to add flavor and nutrition to any meal.

No one will ever stop to think that this pesto recipe is vegan, healthy, and loaded with our almighty superfood friend, kale.

Use this delicious vibrant vegan pesto sauce anytime and anywhere. It's a great way to add a flavorful boost of greens to your meals, plus it's packed with nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, healthy fats, and minerals.

With this recipe, you can enjoy a delicious pesto that's both nutritious and flavorful. Plus, it's vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free!

So, if you're looking for an easy and nutritious way to add flavor and nutrition to your meals, try this vegan kale cashew pesto recipe. You won't be disappointed!

If you are anything like me, you will drizzle it on almost anything. Add this vegan pesto to toast, like avocado toast, pasta, crackers, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, or grain bowls.

A dollop of this vegan pesto sauce pairs well with this Italian chopped salad or use to make pesto-stuffed mushrooms.

Jump to:

• Benefits of Kale Cashew Pesto
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• Recipe

Benefits of Kale Cashew Pesto

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse and is the king of all leafy greens. With its wide range of nutrients, it provides your body with plenty of vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health. Kale is a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, which help to increase immunity and keep your skin healthy. Kale is also high in fiber and water, both of which promote healthy digestion. Kale can help to prevent diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Kale is a great source of antioxidants, which are essential to fight against free radicals and preventing disease.

Cashews are a good source of protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Cashews are also a good source of minerals, such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B6, and vitamin K.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make kale cashew pesto:

• cashews
• fresh garlic
• kale
• fresh basil
• nutritional yeast
• olive oil
• water
• salt + pepper

See the recipe card for quantities.

Equipment: This recipe can be made with either a food processor or blender. It is easier to process in a food processor because of the pulse action.

Instructions

How to make kale cashew pesto sauce:

First, you will want to wash and chop the kale, making sure to remove the stems.

Grab your food processor or if you do not have a food processor you can make this pesto sauce with a blender.

Next, take the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and water and pulse in a food processor or blend in a high-speed blender until the cashews and the garlic break down.

Next, add in the chopped kale and basil and blend/pulse the ingredients until they are well combined - pulse until you reach desired consistency.

If using a blender that has a pulse feature you can utilize this, otherwise, you may need to run the blender, scrape down the sides and use the plunger as needed to reach desired consistency.

If need be add a little more olive oil or water to get the right consistency.

https://youtu.be/5bxXr0s26Xo

Variations

Play around with the spices and vary the flavors based on your preference.

• Nuts + Seeds - try out different nuts or seeds. Like: pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and almonds.
• Greens - swap the kale for other greens, like dandelion leaves, wheatgrass, parsley, or cilantro.
• Lemon - add a touch of lemon juice (swap out with some water) or add in some lemon zest.

Get creative with your pesto recipes, if you do not have an ingredient on hand you can always try switching out for another nut/seed or leafy green. Check out this dandelion pesto recipe for inspiration.

Serving Suggestions

This kale cashew pesto sauce can be used in many different recipes. Enjoy it as a dip for vegetables or crackers, drizzled over grains or roasted vegetables. Use this vegan pesto for pasta, or as a spread for sandwiches.

You can also use it as a sauce for pizza, lasagna, and grilled tofu. Try adding this kale cashew pesto to your salads to add flavor and texture. You can use this pesto as a dressing, add some extra water and olive oil and toss it with a whole bag of salad greens.

Storage

The pesto will last up to 5 days in the fridge, so it's a great make-ahead recipe. If you want to make this recipe ahead of time and store it in jars, you can use an airtight jar or container with a lid.

Recipe