Collard Green Pesto
Pesto with backbone: smoky greens, lemon, pecans.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Timing: 20 mins
Collard Green Pesto
Pesto with backbone: smoky greens, lemon, pecans.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Timing: 20 mins
Key move
Blanched collards + toasted pecans + lemon + garlic paste = green sauce built for chicken, fish, pasta.
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Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
The Setup
- Stockpot8+ qt
- Food Processor
- Blender
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Microplane/ZesterOptional
The Mise en Place
5 of 10Your prep station before cooking begins
The Aromatics (0/1)
The Spice Blend (0/2)
The Pantry (0/3)
My pesto seems a bit thin, not as thick as I expected.
Ah, I see. It sounds like those collards held onto a bit more water than they should have after blanching. Remember, the key to that beautiful body is getting as much moisture out…
The garlic flavor is really strong, and it tastes a bit raw.
That can happen, especially with potent garlic. It means the garlic paste might not have fully integrated, or the garlic itself was just extra feisty today. To balance it right now…
Chef's Notes
Blanch collards briefly in boiling water for 30 seconds, then shock in ice water. This brightens color and tenderizes leaves for easier blending.
Use as a vibrant sauce for pasta, a spread for sandwiches, or a dip for crudités. Adds a fresh, earthy flavor to any dish.
Pesto can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning.
The Method
BLANCH
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add collard greens (450 g). Cook 2-3 minutes until bright green and tender.
Overcooking: Leaving greens in too long results in a muddy, olive-drab color and a bitter, sulfurous taste.
Water is boiling and collard greens are bright green and tender.
SHOCK
Immediately transfer greens to ice water. Let cool completely, then squeeze out excess water.
Watery Pesto: Failing to squeeze out all excess water will result in a thin, runny sauce that won't coat pasta or meat properly.
Collard greens are completely cooled in ice water and excess water has been squeezed out.
TOAST
Toast pecans in a dry pan until fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Over-toasting: Pecans have a high oil content and can burn rapidly once they reach fragrance; remove from heat immediately.
Pecans are fragrant and lightly toasted.
BLEND
In a food processor, combine greens, pecans, garlic, lemon juice (30 mL), zest, salt, and pepper. Pulse until roughly chopped.
Over-processing: Running the motor continuously will heat the greens and turn the pesto into a thin, bitter paste.
All ingredients are combined in the food processor and roughly chopped.
EMULSIFY
With processor running, slowly stream in olive oil (80 mL) until smooth. Add Parmesan if using.
Broken Emulsion: Adding oil too quickly will cause the sauce to separate into an oily, curdled mess.
Olive oil has been streamed in and the pesto is smooth; Parmesan has been added if used.
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