Easy Healthy Kale Pesto - Budget Friendly Kale Pesto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is making pesto cheaper than buying it? ›

Is it more cost-effective to make your own pesto or buy it from the store and make pasta at home? On average store-bought pesto costs less. Depending where you live, the ingredients for pesto Genovese can set you back quite a bit. Good olive oil doesn't come cheap, and neither do pine nuts.

Try a spoonful of the sauce and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, and/or nutritional yeast, as desired. If the kale pesto tastes bitter, add 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup or honey to balance it.

The Bottom Line. Pesto is higher in calories than some sauces but it's also made with super-healthy ingredients, like basil, olive oil and nuts. I find it's a great way to add more flavor to pasta dishes and even vegetables and proteins.

Combine kale, basil, walnuts, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor; process until a finely chopped paste forms, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in lemon zest and juice and remaining 1/2 cup oil until combined. Serve with baguette slices.

You'll want to be mindful of the sodium content. Some jars have more than 500mg per serving and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend you eat no more than 2,300mg per day. It would be hard to stay within those guidelines if you get more than 20% of your sodium from pesto.

Because its ingredients include olive oil, nuts, and cheese, pesto can be high in calories and fat. However, the fat is primarily unsaturated and may have heart health benefits. Pesto is also full of antioxidants that can help protect your cells from damage.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

How long does it last? Kale pesto will last in a sealed container, such as a mason jar, in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness. Adding some spicy or sweet flavors may help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale.

Premium quality extra virgin olive oil is undoubtedly the best choice for making fresh pesto. Not only does it impart a rich and fruity flavor, but it also contains high levels of antioxidants and healthy fats. These properties not only enhance the flavor profile of your pesto but also make it a healthier option.

Is pesto good for liver? ›

Good news! The weeds in the garden can contribute to this delicious pesto that provides nourishing phyto-nutrients to support our liver health. This pesto goes well on crackers, in pasta dishes, or with vegetable sticks.

Alternative Pesto: An Un-Recipe

Fennel fronds, carrot tops, parsley, celeriac leaves, kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards, and so on, make an exciting and unexpected sauce. Sub out the nuts, acid, oil, and cheese for a truly unique flavor experience.

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Once opened, a jar of pesto lasts in the fridge for three days without any dramatic loss of quality. It will be perfectly safe for another two days, but leave it any longer, and its quality will decline to the point that it will no longer be enjoyable to eat.

The taste:

When I first tried it, the most notable flavour was the garlic, making me wonder if a little more basil and just one clove would provide a more balanced taste. There were no complaints though – homemade was a unanimous hit!

One of the main problems with pesto is that it is mostly eaten with pasta. That means that you'll be eating a meal that is both high in fat and high in carbohydrates, and that's not a great combination for people who are watching their weight.