Kale and pistachio pesto

There are some days where I’m looking for a different way to eat kale and this pesto hits the spot.  

Most soft herbs with a vibrant flavour would be a fine addition to this pesto. My favourites are coriander leaf, parsley, basil or dill – but you could try tarragon or even wild garlic leaves, when in season.  The sourness of the lemon and the pungency of the garlic is the perfect foil for the bitter kale.

Use it to add to a salad dressing, pile onto warmed mushrooms, stir into pasta or pimp up your hummus.    

INGREDIENTS

3 or 4 large kale leaves, stalks removed

A handful of soft herbs such as parsley, basil, coriander leaf or dill.

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons pistachio nuts or cashew nuts, dry

½ tablespoon nutritional yeast

½ garlic clove, finely grated

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – plus more for storage

METHOD

Remove any tough stalks from the kale leaves. Tear the kale leaves into small pieces. Remove any stalks from the herbs. 

In a mini food processor or wet grinder, pulse all the ingredients, except the oil and whizz until it forms a chunky herb paste. Finally stream in enough olive oil to loosen and pulse together until smooth and emulsified.

Pile it into an airtight jar and pour over enough oil to for a seal. Store in the refrigerator for about 5 days or you can freeze it using an ice cube tray to portion it.

 If you’d like to know more about why this is so good for you, check out the article about Alkaline Foods: A Raw Plant-based Guide to Balancing pH — Deliciously Raw