Kale, Almond and Sunflower Pesto
Kale is an anti-inflammatory superfood, high in iron and calcium, and an excellent source of vitamin A and C. It’s not most people’s favourite vegetable to eat by itself though, so turning it into pesto is a sneaky way to get more of it into your diet. Try this pesto as a snack with crackers or vegetable sticks, or as a meal tossed with pasta or roast vegetables.
Makes 1 cup
Equipment
Colander or sieve
Food processor
Ingredients
2-3 cups roughly chopped kale leaves
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp water
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp salt
Pinch or two of chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Boil a jug of water.
- Roughly chop kale and put it in a colander. For larger leaves, trim away any tough stalks and central spines of the leaves. Pour a jug of boiling water over the colander of chopped kale, refresh under cold water, then use your hands to squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Put blanched kale and all remaining ingredients into a food processor.
- Blend until mostly smooth but with some remaining texture. Add a little extra water if needed to reach a nice consistency (try adding 2 tbsp to use the pesto with pasta, or 4 tbsp for a more spreadable consistency to have with crackers or vegetable sticks).
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Excerpt from Wholesale - Pathways cookbook by Amber Bremner