Carrot Noodles with Kale-Cashew Pesto

I love salads! In fact I love them so much that it’s all I ever want to eat when the weather gets warmer. I just like that it’s cold, fresh, and healthy. But I’m always on the lookout for other options too, like cold soups or sandwiches to avoid getting bored. I recently got into vegetable noodles for example; one of the best things that entered my culinary world this past year actually.

There are just so many possibilities with them, since you can use almost any kind of vegetables, paired with your favorite pasta sauces. Plus, they take no time to prepare, and leave you satisfied without the carbs of regular pasta! Perfect when bikini season is looming… Today, I was inspired by my friend Celeste at the True Spoon and opted for carrots (easter withdrawal problems) with a delicious “garlicky” kale-cashew pesto. This pesto is rich and creamy and tastes absolutely delicious with regular pasta as well if that’s more of your thing. Bon appétit!

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for the Noodles:

3 carrots
1 serving of kale pesto

Ingredients for the Kale Pesto: Makes about 3 servings

1 1/2 cups chopped kale
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 small garlic clove
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Directions:

Make Kale-Cashew Pesto: in a food processor, combine all the ingredients together. Blend until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. I usually add a splash of water towards the end to make it even smoother.
Peel the carrots and turn them into noodles using a vegetable “spiralizer.” If you don’t own one, you can cut very thin strips with a knife, or make ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
To plate put the carrot noodles in a bowl, and toss with a generous amount of kale pesto. Enjoy!

TIP: You can also use other vegetables if carrots aren’t your favorite. This recipe is delicious with zucchini noodles, sweet potato noodles or even cucumber noodles!