kale and pumpkin pesto

I have been experimenting with different types of pesto and I have fallen in love with this one. This recipe is from Love and Lemons and I love how green it is! I didn’t modify this photo - it really is this green. The color comes from the pumpkin seeds and the kale. I haven’t tried the recipe with nutritional yeast but that’s next on the list. The recipe calls for 1 glove of garlic but I only added 1/2 a clove as I don’t like my pesto super garlicky. It tasted perfect! This pesto keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or you can freeze it up to 2 months. We like to freeze it in ice cube containers and then just pop out a couple of ice cubes when we need some pesto.

Tip - If your pesto is a little bitter (it depends upon the kale), add a 1/4 teaspoon of maple syrup or honey to compensate for the bitterness.

Makes about 1 cup of pesto

Ingredients

• ½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

• 1 small garlic clove

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 packed cups chopped curly kale

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Creating the Magic!

• In a food processor, pulse the pepitas and garlic until the pepitas are ground up. Add the cheese or nutritional yeast, salt, and several grinds of pepper and pulse again.

• Add the kale and lemon juice. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil, and process until combined. Season to taste.