Kale Pesto

If you struggle to get enough raw leafy greens into your diet every day, this delicious pesto recipe is a great way to sneak more in. Enjoy it with vegetable crudités, served with tomato-cucumber skewers, or try it with the baked Sweet Potato Fries or Zucchini Tater Tots on the blog. This recipe is much lower in fat than traditional pesto, making it a much better choice for your liver and overall health.

If you’ve heard that raw kale is bad for thyroid health, it’s vitally important to know this is incorrect. Raw kale is actually beneficial for the thyroid. Kale is high in specific alkaloids that protect against viruses such as EBV. Its phytochemicals can enter the thyroid, killing off pockets of EBV that start to develop there during the virus’s early stages of occupying the gland. 

Parsley removes high levels of copper and aluminum, which feed EBV and in turn cause skin problems. Parsley also bolsters production of the thyroid hormone T3 by helping to feed and restore the thyroid.

Basil’s antiviral abilities come in part from phytochemical compounds that can enter into the thyroid and slow down EBV cells’ drilling action. Basil helps reduce nodules, cysts, and tumors, and holds anticancer compounds to help prevent thyroid cancer.

Oil-Free Kale Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup parsley
• 1 cup basil
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, more if needed
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 3-5 tbsp water

Served with:

• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into wedges
• 1 small romaine lettuce, separated into leaves
• 1 large tomato, sliced

Directions:

To make the pesto, combine the kale, parsley, basil, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until you get a chunky pesto. While the motor is running, pour the water into the food processor until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

To serve, arrange cucumber wedges, bell pepper, romaine lettuce leaves and tomato slices on a platter with the pesto. 

Serves: 4 people

To find out more about what’s behind thyroid symptoms and disease, and get many delicious healing recipes, check out my bestselling book, Thyroid Healing 

This item posted: 26-Aug-2018