Easy Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the bitterness out of kale pesto? ›

If the kale pesto tastes bitter, add 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup or honey to balance it.

Use it as a topping for roasted or baked potatoes. Spread it on sandwiches. Pesto's creamy texture and earthy taste make it the perfect condiment for your favorite panini or a vegan grilled cheese sandwich made with Trader Joe's Vegan Brioche. Drizzle it on pizza.

How long does vegan pesto last? Fresh pesto will store well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Keep a layer of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the top of the pesto so it doesn't brown.

Method. Put the pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, oils, kale and lemon juice in a food processor and whizz to a paste. Season to taste.

Acid in the form of vinegar or citrus juices can make a pesto taste less bitter and could even enhance the flavour of the sauce at the same time. In low concentrations, salt can be used to suppress bitterness, which is why people have been adding tiny amounts to coffee for decades. Always go easy to start with.

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.

If you like your vegan pesto sauce to have a really cheesy flavor, blend in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Then, taste and adjust, adding more nutritional yeast if desired.

Pesto Expiration Date

Store-bought pesto, especially if unopened and refrigerated, can generally last up to 1-2 months past its labeled expiration date. However, this can vary based on storage conditions and brand guidelines. Once opened, pesto should ideally be consumed within 3-4 days to ensure freshness and quality.

Refrigerated pesto has a shorter best-eaten-by date, and can last up to a week in the fridge once it's open, though sometimes it only lasts a few days. Unrefrigerated pesto lasts longer, and can survive for one to two weeks after you open it — however, it should go into the fridge once you pop open the container.

Since kale pesto is made with fresh kale leaves, it will only last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Is green pesto bad for cholesterol? ›

As long as you don't have allergies, the ingredients used to make pesto are generally good for you. In fact, they may help reduce your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and cancer risk. Homemade pesto is easy to make.

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.

Blanch Them. Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

It has a slightly bitter taste, but that can be resolved with adding a little acid, like lemon juice. Swiss chard is generally served cooked, as the leaves brighten nicely when sautéed in a bit of oil.

Sautéing greens in oil with lots of garlic and/or onions works well to counteract the bitterness of mildly bitter greens. Counterbalancing with acid, salt and strong flavors. A bitter salad green like arugula (rocket, rucola) demands a rather strong tasting dressing.

As for what we do recommend, our go-to method to tone down the excessive garlicky taste of pesto is to add a little acidity and sweetness. Acid (normally in the form of lemon juice or vinegar) denatures allicin, the source of garlic's spiciness.