Sometimes inspiration for healthy dishes happen to me when I least expect it.
Like in the middle of vacation. In Maui.
In the middle of cocktails, in the middle of laying on the beach, in the middle of a great book.
You never know.
We had stopped at this roadside juice bar for a bite to eat to take to the beach. A raw, vegan, laid back kind of place that only my family thinks is a normal stop in the day. None of us are raw, vegan or even vegetarian eaters, but these types of places never disappoint {whether its for the people watching or the food, in my opinion}.
And so, there we were. Among the dreadlocks and natural fiber clothing, in our swim suits and sunglasses.
And, there it was.
A little pesto–macadamia nut kale salad that caught my eye. Raw. Vegan. Intense, as salads go. And yet, pretty damn refreshing looking after a morning of hiking in the warm weather. Yet light enough to lay in a bikini for the rest of the afternoon, if you know what I mean.
Let’s just say that I ate it–quickly and with no complaints. And then, just because I wanted to make sure; I went back and bought another one. And I ate that one too.
All in the name of research, of course. For you all.
So immediately, when I got home, you better believe that I tried to re-create that little plate of goodness. And then you also better believe that it’s what I’ve been eating for lunch almost everyday since.
Yes, it’s been almost 3 weeks. But who’s counting? [and- update from 2015. Make that 3 YEARS, not weeks].
Without the cheese, this pesto is a little bit lighter and cleaner for a lunch bite that tastes way more indulgent than it really is.
Plus kale automatically makes you feel good about yourself when you put it in your shopping cart. And, once it’s made, it keeps in the fridge for a 3-5 days, making it perfect for big batch making and lunches on the go.
You really can’t go wrong here, is what I’m trying to say.
Want the breakdown? Watch my youtube video on how to make this salad perfectly (there’s a little tiny trick).
The Pesto Kale Salad
Makes 4 servings
1½ heads leafy green kale (not Italian/Lacinato/Dinosaur kale)
¾ cup raw cashews
1½ ounces fresh basil leaves, stems removed
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 lemon, juiced
drizzle of olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients except kale in a blender with a small bit of water. Wash kale well and discard the stems. Tear kale into bite-sized pieces, and place in a large bowl. Dry leaves with a paper towel or clean dish towel.
Drizzle with some olive oil and rub it into the leaves with your hands. Add the pesto and continue to do the same, trying to coat as many crevices in the kale as you can. Best when served cold.
Keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days, and tastes best after marinating for a day to soften the leaves.
Love this recipe? You’d love the cookbook then too. And be sure to check out the brand new Food Academy, now open for enrollment, and the seasonal meal plans! And NEW: check out this little podcast workshop I created for you, called: Simply Real FOOD: Real food, finally explained. Check it out here!
just made this, it’s divine!! I didn’t have cashews so I substituted with raw almonds and walnuts… Also added a handful of organic arugula into the pesto, amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
This is my personal favorite– I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made it this summer. And not sick of it yet, which is amazing. I love your additions– they all sound perfect. So happy to know you liked it!
Hey Sarah~ I’m on my way to Maui next week and was wondering if you could tell me where the juice bar you stopped at was located. Would love to try it out while I’m there. THANKS!
Hi Heather! Of course. It was closer to the Lahaina area, so hopefully that’s where you are going. It was called CHOICE juice bar, and it’s in a funny little shopping center complex, but totally worth a trip!
This is delicious – I added diced roasted red pepper instead of the tomatoes! Will definitely be making again!
Yum! Love it.
PCC was out of raw cashews, so I used their Thai Curry Roasted Cashews instead. WOW!! Delish. I plan to throw on some avocado and a little pecan for lunch today. Thank you for the great recipe!
Yum! You are so welcome Julie. It’s one of my very favorites– and you can switch up the flavor profile so easily by adding other herbs to the basil, kicking up the spice factor with some red pepper flakes and garlic, or changing up the nuts– pistachios, macadamia nuts, almonds, etc!Thanks for reading!
I’ve been eating the salad for several days now, but working through 2 bunches of kale has been quite an effort! I wasn’t in the mood for it tonight, but didn’t want to waste what was left. Soooo… I took the remaining kale (which was tossed in pesto, but didn’t have any tomatoes or other toppers) and I baked it at 350 for 15 minutes. Delicious kale chips that even my kids loved! I wasn’t sure if it would crisp up with the pesto, but it did!
My partner and I stumbled over here from a different page and thought I might as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to going over your web page yet again.
Thank you Deandre– I hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe! I saved some of the pesto to top a piece of salmon and baked it in foil, that was incredible too! I would like to try making kale chips from this recipe too, if it works they will certainly be to die for!
So good! I love it when I have extra. It’s good on almost anything 🙂
This is so good! I wanted to lick the bowl of my food processor the pesto is so delicious!
Yay!
This looks amazing! Would I be able to substitute cashew meal and the frozen basil cubes from trader joes? If so, how much? Thanks!
Hi Leah, I’m sure you could, but the real deal will make the sauce so much more flavorful. If you already have those things in your freezer and pantry, give it a try! I’d use less of both since they are already blended, but the amount depends on your taste and the potency of both. Let me know what happens if you try it out!
OK – I have been wanting to make this forever and finally got around to it today! It’s AH-MAZING! Might just be my new favorite salad. So simple and so easy and SO DELICIOUS! The perfect salad to accompany any meal or just eat on it’s own. Thank you for the recipe!