I really like Linda Ly’s The CSA Cookbook. It is not a vegan book, but about 90% of the recipes could be veganized with a vegan substitute. This Kale Stem Pesto is vegan as is!
I’m amazed that there are so many recipes that use parts of veggies that I often toss in the compost. This pesto recipe uses kale stems as the main ingredient with some parsley, walnuts, and garlic.
In some of her other recipes, she utilizes leaves from bean and tomato plants and dispels the myth that tomato leaves are poisonous. Carrot top greens are used and she stir fries watermelon rind.
Again there are recipes that are not vegan, but you can use coconut bacon, tofu, seitan and vegan cheeses to make the recipes your own.
My mind is blown by all the cool ideas I’m getting from this book!
Tell me what your best tip is to use up as much of any veggie as possible. I need all the help I can get!
Kale Stem Pesto from The CSA Cookbook
How many kale recipes have you come across in which the directions tell you to reserve the stems for “another use” or even discard them altogether? Well, friends, this is your other use. Those rigid stems and ribs we often remove are the star of the show here, and they’re every bit as fresh and earthy as their leafy counterparts. Used raw, they’re a great pairing for the tangy lemon in this pesto. You’re not solely limited to kale stems, either; try this with your other neglected stems, such as collards, cauliflower, or broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped kale stems
- 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley with stems
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the oil to a food processor and pulse until crumbly, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Continue pulsing and add the oil in a slow, steady stream until well blended. Some people like their pesto super smooth, but I prefer a bit of texture, so process to your liking.
- For a thick paste that you can spread onto sandwiches and pizzas, use only ¼ cup of oil. For a thin sauce that you can stir into pastas and soups, use a full ½ cup.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 73Sodium 202mgCarbohydrates 3gProtein 2g
Kathryn Grace says
I’ve always chopped my stems and added them to my freezer bowl for making veggie soup stock, but this looks like a wonderful way to use them. I’m grateful, too, for a way to use some of the parsley I get in my CSA box. My sweetheart doesn’t care for the stuff, so I almost never use it all. I’m baking homemade crackers today. This pesto would be delicious with them. Thank you!
Joann says
I should have read this blog yesterday before I cleaned my kale and tossed the stems. It really is amazing how much food the average american wastes. Truthfully I think it’s just we don’t know better. I never even thought you could use the stems for anything but the stockpot. I think I’m going to check out this book! Thanks for turning me on to it. I probably wouldn’t have seen it because I usually only buy vegan cookbooks.
Pooja says
Hey your recipe sounds so delicious. Will try .
Kathryn Grace says
Came back to let you know I made it and it is indeed delicious with the crackers. A tiny smear is all we need. So much flavor! Incidentally, I had just one bunch of kale, which made half a cup of stems, so I chopped some of the leaves and added them to the mix. Worked fine.
Thanks again for a delicious recipe.
Jennifer says
Can’t go wrong with pestos and this one looks FAB!
Margo, Thrift at Home says
what?! mind blown! I have tried to pickle these stems before with no good results. I’m definitely trying this pesto!
annie says
I love how you can mix almost anything into pesto and it turned to magic. this is such a great way to use up those woody kale stems.
Liz says
I tried this today and it’s delicious! I made a couple substitutions…I substituted the oil w water. (We’re fat free) and next time I’ll use aquafaba to keep the creaminess. I subbed apple cider vinegar for lemon (didn’t have any) and cashews for the walnuts (also out) but left the rest the same. This is delicious! I’m going to have to try using it as a pizza sauce!
Sonal says
I think this is a brilliant recipe using the kale stems which otherwise go as a discard! Totally worth trying.
Ames says
Never had pesto before, so can’t compare to the “normal” kind, but this was amazing! Tried the recipe only because I had some kale stems that I didn’t want to just throw away.
Mine came out too thick though even with a lot of oil, so I added a bit of water.
Kathy Hester says
I find it often depends on the dryness of the veggie.
Melissa says
Will this work with frozen kale stems?
Kathy Hester says
I haven’t tried it, but I think they would work.
Cheryl Dutchyn says
I loved this pesto. I recently started eating vegan and this recipe is as delicious as it is nutritious. I added some black pepper and sprinkled nutritional yeast on top.
Michael says
I used this as inspiration. I didn’t have parsley but mixed some fresh herbs I had growing fresh (basil, rosemary) and some fresh spinach. I head lots of fresh kale stalks because I am making kale greens for a Thanksgiving side. I scooped this beautiful concoction on a tattered everything bagel. Perfection!
Michael says
I meant
Had not head
toasted not tattered
Yana says
Delicious!! How can I freeze this? We have a lot of kale growing now and I want to store this!
Kathy Hester says
You could freeze in ice cube trays then add to a resealable bag in the freezer or just freeze a batch straight in a bag if you will use that much at one time.
Lynne says
I’m a traditionalist, so I added a half-teaspoon of dried basil and a bit more salt. Also, I find that blanching the kale stems helps a lot if you have previously frozen them.