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–+ servings
a bowl of collard greens pesto sauce on a white table with a gold spoon

Collard Greens Pesto

Kristina Todini, RDN
Collard Greens Pesto Sauce, a super simple pesto sauce recipe that uses collard leaves instead of basil. Ready in 5 minutes and freezes well!
5 stars (3 ratings)
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Sauces, Dressings + Dips
Cuisine Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings 8 servings
Calories 178 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups collard greens
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts or pumpkins seeds if nut-free
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast if vegan
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Wash and prep collard leaves: Start by washing 2 cups collard greens under running water or submerging them in a bowl of water and shaking them to remove any dirt. Use a salad spinner to dry leaves or lay them flat on a plate or kitchen towel to dry, then chop them into thin pieces.
  • Blend collards, nuts, garlic, and oil: Toss the cleaned and dried collard leaves in a food processor. Next, add ⅓ cup pine nuts and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, slowly drizzling in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil until the chopped ingredients are well coated in oil but still chunky.
  • Add seasonings to finish: Finish by adding in the ⅓ cup parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast) and 1 pinch salt and pepper. Add the Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice if using. Give the pesto a taste and add more seasonings until it's flavored to your liking.

Notes

Nuts or seeds? Traditional pesto sauce uses pine nuts, but any nuts or seeds are perfect for pesto. We used pumpkin seeds in the photos of this recipe.
Tools needed: food processor or blender, knife set, cutting board, salad spinner
Prep ahead: Make this simple pesto up to 2-3 days before serving, or freeze until ready to use
Leftovers and storage: Leftover pesto should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and in the freezer for up to 2 months (possibly longer).
Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is an estimate and uses all ingredients as written (with parmesan cheese and pine nuts). Using other nuts, seeds, cheese, or nutritional yeast will change the nutrition information of this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 71mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 486IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 0.5mg
Keyword collard greens pesto
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