Pesto is a sauce that can make or break a dish. A poorly made pesto can make a dish inedible, and a divine pesto takes a dish to new heights. You may even find that you lick the bowl or plate! We can confidently say that this pesto that dresses the zoodles is dangerously delicious. The addictive spice keeps you coming back, bite after bite. You want to know the best part about the pesto? The nutritional value is almost more impressive than the flavor.
Kale is an excellent base for a raw pesto sauce because it’s a nutritionally-dense leafy green. Most people don’t eat enough leafy greens on a daily basis, so incorporating more into your diet is never a bad idea. The almonds and the kale give the pesto wonderful body, providing an excellent base for the oil, garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. The nutritional yeast also thickens the sauce, while providing a subtle, cheesy flavor that signature pestos have.
When it comes to zoodles, you have two options. You can either purchase zucchini noodles in the grocery store, or you can spiralize the zucchini at home. The latter does require a spiralizer, which is fairly inexpensive. We recommend the type that has a hand crank, as opposed to the handheld varieties that require you to twist the vegetable. For the best zucchini noodles, pat them dry with paper towels before you toss them in the pesto. You can thank us later.
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Serves: 3 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Entrees, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 4 c kale, torn and thick stems removed
- 1/2 c raw almonds
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (more as needed)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- sea salt, to taste
- pinch red pepper flakes
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 3 zucchini, spiralized
Instructions
- Add the kale, almonds, olive oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- If the pesto is too thick, drizzle in a little bit of oil during the blending process until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Once you pat the zucchini noodles dry with paper towels, add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the pesto sauce over the zucchini noodles and toss to coat them. Serve in separate bowls and top with optional cherry tomato halves. Enjoy!
