Carrot Top Pesto
This homemade pesto is made with fresh carrot greens for a twist on classic pesto. So, when you buy those beautiful farmers’ market carrots, don’t toss the greens – use them to make this delicious carrot top pesto. You only need a handful of ingredients and ten minutes to make it!
From the department of “well, yes, you can make pesto with that,” I present to you carrot top pesto. It is also known as the absolute best way to use up all of the parts of the carrots that you might buy that still have their greens attached.
This is especially nice to make when carrots are in season, which happens twice a year – late spring and fall. Lucky us! So, look for those carrots with the gorgeous greens at the store, your local farmer’s market, or in your CSA box because you will want to try this carrot greens pesto.
Maybe you’re wondering what carrot greens taste like. The greens are earthy, like beet greens, but with a light and fresh flavor like parsley.
How to Make It
You can cook them like other greens, but for pesto, just blitz them raw in the blender just like you would for basil pesto. Add a few more ingredients, and you get a delicious fresh sauce for pasta or use it as a spread for sandwiches, or you can thin it and use it as a sauce for chicken, steak, or pork or use it as a salad dressing.
More Pesto Recipes
Classic Pesto | Beet Greens Pesto | Spinach Parsley Pesto | Roasted Garlic Pesto
PrintCarrot Top Pesto
This easy pesto is made with fresh carrot greens for a twist on classic pesto. it’s quick, easy, and full of fresh flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed leafy carrot tops
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the carrot tops, almonds, and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Stir in olive oil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Refrigerate the pesto in an air-tight container for up to one week.
Notes
Storage: You can freeze pesto for up to three months. Freeze it in small containers or spoon it into an ice cube tray, drizzle olive oil over the top, and tightly wrap it. This makes it easy to add to soup, sauces, and other dishes when you want to add a pop of flavor.
Need a recipe idea for the carrots? My honey-glazed carrots are easy to make, and you can dress them up with a dollop of this pesto.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 119
- Sugar: 0.2g
- Sodium: 115.9mg
- Fat: 12.7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.7g
- Cholesterol: 1.8mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Variations
- Nuts: Almonds are great in this pesto, but so are a lot of other nuts. If you’re feeling like a high-roller, opt for pine nuts or try walnuts, pistachios, cashews, or even pecans.
- Cheese: Parm is great, but Asiago or Romano cheese is also delicious in this sauce.
- Fresh herbs: Feel free to add some fresh herbs like parsley, basil leaves, or even thyme to add more flavor. A couple of tablespoons would work well.
- Add some zing: Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice for an extra pop of brightness. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon zest when you blitz the greens.
Three cheers for less food waste and using all parts of the veggie – I hope you give this carrot top pesto recipe a try!
Happy cooking,
