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

FAQs

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

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.

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.

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.

Homemade basil pesto is a wonderfully versatile and tasty sauce/spread made from a handful of flavorful ingredients. It comes together in minutes and tastes worlds better than store-bought because it's so fresh.

Anything sugary will work: granulated white sugar, honey, fruit juices, even sweet dessert wines. 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.

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.

Does pesto go bad? Unfortunately, yes. Since it's made from fresh and perishable ingredients such as basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and pine nuts, it will only last for a short period of time in the fridge. But with proper storage, pesto can last in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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.

How Long Does Pesto Last? This easy basil pesto sauce will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container.

Pesto is high in calories and fats; while it's somewhat a healthy part of the diet, it doesn't aid in weight loss benefits. In addition, pesto might not be suitable for a low-calorie weight loss diet plan because its ingredients include olive oil, nuts, and cheese.

Is pesto bad for blood pressure? ›

Dieticians consider pesto's positive health benefits to far outweigh their negatives, especially when it comes to high blood pressure.

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.

2 Potential Downsides

First, since traditional pesto contains nuts, someone with a nut allergy must avoid traditionally prepared recipes. Luckily, there's an easy workaround using recipes without nuts. Second, store-bought pesto may or may not contain extras you may not want to eat.

Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you'd like a creamier/cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil.

After all, any sauce that contains high quantities of oil, nuts, and cheese can never hope to be found in the health-food aisle. However, despite its reputation, nutritionists agree that if consumed in moderation, pesto is healthy, and its benefits far outweigh the risks.

Another trick that works with kale, I don't know why this works, but if you add just a little bit of lemon to kale, which is bitter, it actually makes the kale taste less bitter.

Balance the flavors: Kale has a strong flavor, so try pairing it with strong-flavored ingredients like berries, bananas, or nut butter to balance out the taste. You can also try adding sweeteners like honey or maple syrup to make the smoothie more palatable.

Much like in onions and garlic, kale's bitterness is only formed when the vegetable is sliced, chopped, massaged, or chewed. When cells in a leaf of kale are intact, an enzyme called myrosinase and sulfur-containing compound glucosinolate are separated from one another.