Basil and Kale Pesto

Basil and Kale Pesto is a great idea when you have too much kale or don’t have quite enough basil to make regular basil pesto! Eat the tasty pesto with basil and kale over grilled chicken, fish or veggies for a low-carb meal.

PIN Basil and Kale Pesto to make some later!

This recipe for Basil and Kale Pesto is a Public Service Announcement for all those lucky people who are growing kale in their gardens. I made the pesto in these photos last September when my garden was bursting with kale, and since I was giving kale away to anyone who stopped by, the abundance of kale led me to experiment with using it as an ingredient in pesto.

And I loved the combination of kale and basil made into pesto! This is a perfect idea when you have too much kale you need to use or preserve, but it’s also a great way to stretch out the basil if you want to make pesto but don’t have that much basil yet.

If you have kale growing in your garden, or if your CSA or Farmer’s Market gives you more kale than you know what to do with this summer, I highly recommend making this tasty pesto as soon as possible!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• chopped kale leaves
• extra-virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• large cloves garlic (to taste; I like this heavy on the garlic)
• basil leaves
• fresh squeezed lemon juice; I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• coarsely grated Parmesan
• salt to taste

Can the Basil and Kale Pesto be frozen?

Despite the abundance of sources saying not to freeze pesto with cheese, I have been freezing it for years. I like to freeze in an ice cube tray or a mini muffin pan, then pop out the frozen cubes and seal them in a bag with my FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer (affiliate link). That method makes the pesto last a long time in the freezer, and it’s easy to take out a few cubes when you want to use them.

How did I use the Basil and Kale Pesto?

Kale is a strong flavor, so I froze my pesto in a mini-muffin tin, and each little ball of pesto was about three tablespoons, just the right amount to stir into a soup or toss with some pasta or rice. It was also delicious served over grilled chicken, pork chops, fish, or vegetables.

Want more ideas for using pesto?

Check out Low-Carb and Keto Recipes with Pesto for more ideas using this favorite summer treat. And if you enjoy the flavor of kale, I think this Kale and Basil Pesto could be used in lots of those recipes.

How to make Basil and Kale Pesto:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Start with 4 cups of chopped kale leaves, packed tightly into the measuring cup. Give the kale a good wash in the salad spinner.
2. Then heat a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, and add the kale.
3. Cook kale just 2-3 minutes, until it’s wilted like this.
4. I used 2 cups of basil leaves, not packed quite as tightly as the kale.
5. Add the kale and garlic to the food processor and process until both are finely chopped. (I didn’t use pine nuts in this pesto, but if you wanted some I would add them now.)
6. Then add the basil and process while you add the olive oil and lemon juice through the feed tube.
7. I used a cup of shredded Parmesan. (If you only have finely-grated Parmesan I’d use a little less.) Add the Parmesan and salt to taste and process until it’s as smooth as you’d like it.
8. Freeze the pesto in ice cube trays or mini-muffin trays so you have small cubes of Basil and Kale Pesto to add to dishes whenever you want a little touch of greens flavor.
9. (When the balls of pesto are frozen, I seal them inside plastic bags with my FoodSaver.)

More Ideas for Using Basil and Kale Pesto:

• Pesto Spaghetti Squash
• Summer Squash with Pesto and Parmesan
• Chicken Pesto Soup

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 12 servings

Basil and Kale Pesto

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

ThisBasil and Kale Pesto is great served over grilled chicken, fish or veggies, and this is a tasty pesto variation whenever you don't have enough basil to make regular pesto or you have kale that needs to be used.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (tightly packed) chopped kale leaves
• 2 tsp. + 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large cloves garlic (to taste; I like this heavy on the garlic)
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (see notes)
• salt to taste (I used about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.)

Instructions

1. Coarsely chop the kale leaves and measure out 4 cups of packed chopped kale.
2. Give the kale a good wash in the salad spinner if it needs it and spin dry .
3. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
4. Saute the kale just until it wilts, about 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
5. Put the wilted kale and garlic into the food processor (using the steel blade.)
6. Chop until it’s finely chopped.
7. Then add the basil leaves, put the lid on the food processor.
8. Add the olive oil and lemon juice through the feed tube while you process the mixture.
9. When it’s fairly well combined, add the coarsely grated Parmesan and salt and process until the pesto is as smooth as you’d like it (about 1 minute for me.)
10. This pesto can be frozen in ice-cube trays or small mini-muffin tin cups. I put the frozen cubes of pesto into plastic bags and seal with my FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer (affiliate link).
11. The Kale and Basil pesto is great great served over grilled chicken, fish or veggies. And it's a delicious addition to soups or salad dressings, stirred into hot rice or cooked beans, or it can be eaten with pasta.

Notes

You’ll need a food processor to make this recipe successfully. I use my Cuisinart Food Processor (affiliate link) that I’ve had for many years.

I use my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this recipe. If you only have fine-grated Parmesan, I would use a little less.

Nutritional information calculated on 3 tablespoons serving size.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 92Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 7mgSodium 209mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Pesto is not used in large amounts, so even though this Basil and Kale Pesto has a generous amount of cheese, I would eat it for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. And although kale does have some carbs, again you’re not eating a huge amount so it’s also great for low-carb and Keto eating plans.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Fresh Herbs or Leafy Greens to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Basil and Kale Pesto was posted in 2013 when I had a garden that was bursting with kale. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

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