Carrot Top Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Carrot Top Greens – Tough Stems Removed packed
- 1 Cup Spinach packed
- 1 Clove Garlic
- ½ Cup Cashews, Unsalted
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Prep the carrot tops – the tops should be removed from the carrots. Remove leaves from the tough middle stem & remove any yellow leaves.1 Cup Carrot Top Greens – Tough Stems Removed
- Add all ingredients except the oil to the food processor and pulse several times, pausing to scrape down the sides.1 Cup Spinach, 1 Clove Garlic, ½ Cup Cashews, Unsalted, ½ Teaspoon Salt, ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- Slowly add the olive oil to the processor, scraping sides as needed. Process until smooth and the texture you like.½ Cup Olive Oil
- Serve with crackers, bread, or use as a topping for a salad or a baked potato.
The nutrition facts provided on this site are only an estimate and are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutrition facts for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Video
Angie’s Notes
- Try toasting the cashews in the oven for more depth of flavor in the pesto.
- In the pesto, substitute cashews for your favorite nut or seed (walnuts work great!)
- Not enough carrot tops for the pesto? Add any other green herb (basil cilantro, parsley)
- Substitute the spinach for beet greens or kale
Why I Love This Carrot Top Pesto
The first reason I love this carrot top pesto is how versatile it is! I’ve eaten this pesto on crackers & bread. In addition, I’ve thinned it out to use as a dressing on a salad, or as a pasta sauce.
Carrot tops are something I previously would throw away. One day I wanted pesto but didn’t have any basil. I checked my fridge, and I had just harvested my carrots. I grabbed the carrots removed the tops and started my pesto.
Carrot Top Pesto Recipe Tips
The first step in the recipe is removing the leaves from the carrot tops. To do this, you want to make sure you pull the green leaves off the larger tough stem. I bought this herb stripper, saving me time in the kitchen. Next, you will add all ingredients except for the oil to the processor, process, and then add the oil to the food processor. Make sure you remove the tough stems for a better pesto
For this batch, I used a 1-cup mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews. I also left this batch thick & coarse – I prefer it this way when I’m topping my homegrown potato or adding to my homemade (and homegrown!) tomato soup. In addition to those recipes, if I had thinned this out, I could have used it on my Zucchini Crust Pizza!
More Inspiration For Carrot Top Uses
Are you looking for another way to use your carrot tops besides pesto? Try making scrap vegetable broth soup – the hardest part is remembering to save the scrap vegetables. It’s another quick and easy recipe that will help you waste less in your kitchen.
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