Carrot top greens blended with garlic, basil, walnuts, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. This 5 Minute Carrot Top Greens Pesto is easy to make and a great way to try something new with ingredients you already have.
Happy Monday!
I can’t believe the first weekend of December has already gone by. Just three more weekends until Christmas!
But it doesn’t really feel like it. Especially since it’s so bright and sunny, though ridiculously cold and windy, here in the city.
I’m always associating Christmas with the overcast skies, cold weather, and rain or snow. So it doesn’t quite feel like Christmas just yet. But we’re definitely getting there.
Today, I wanted to introduce you to carrot top greens pesto.
I love buying colorful carrots from the farmer’s market. Most of the time, these carrots are small with huge tops. And it just seems like a waste just to toss out the carrot top greens when you can use them in your dishes too.
Like, sautéing them with garlic and a little bit of salt for a vegetable dish, or adding them to your soups, or using them as garnish instead of parsley or cilantro. Seriously, soo good.
These carrot top greens are so gorgeous and lacy and perfectly edible.
Since they come in abundance, and I had leftover from using carrots in my soups, I decided to turn these carrot top greens into a pesto.
The only downside is that you have to make sure you wash them well. Sometimes dirt clings to the carrot tops so you want to make sure that they’ve been washed a few times.
In a blender or food processor, add carrot top greens, a clove of garlic, basil, walnuts, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. If you like, you can add parmesan cheese for a creamier taste. Blend until smooth.
Serve the 5 Minute Carrot Top Greens Pesto on pasta, or use it as a dip or a spread.
Enjoy!
- 5 Minute Carrot Top Greens Pesto
- 1 ½ cups carrot top greens, washed thoroughly
- ½ cup basil leaves
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 small clove of garlic
- Pinch of salt, more to taste
- In a blender or food processor, add carrot top greens, garlic, basil, walnuts, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add more salt as needed to taste.
- Serve the 5 Minute Carrot Top Greens Pesto on pasta or as a dip or spread.
I love the sweetness of bunched carrots with greens – and this is a perfect example of waste not want not. I definitely want to cook and experiment more with carrot greens…
Carrot greens are great in soup too, and stir fry =)
I didn’t even know carrot greens were edible. I’m growing carrots at the moment but it’s been months and they are all tiny. At least I know I can eat the tops!
I hope you’ll like it, Penne!
What a fabulous idea! i love recipes which include using all or nearly all of a plant or meat. Too much is thrown away into the rubbish! Thank you!
Hope you’ll like this!
What a great idea to use carrot greens and your pesto sounds delicious, Andrea! Thank you for sharing it with us at Fiesta Friday!
Thanks, Sandhya!
This looks absolutely yummy.
Thank you!