I am a sucker for baby dutch carrots with the tops on because they look so pretty! And YES - you can eat the carrot tops. Why not try making it into this easy Carrot Top Pesto Recipe. It is fresh, delicious and decreases on waste.
Pesto really is just a mix of some greens, herbs, nuts, citrus and a bit of oil. So why not make it out of carrot tops!
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Carrot top pesto ingredients
Carrot tops. The main ingredient for this pesto - Carrot tops! Don't go throwing them out after using the carrots.
Herbs. Whoops! Looks like I forgot to add these into the photo. I like making my pesto with basil, but you could use oregano, mint, spring onion - whatever tickles your fancy. If you don't want the additional herbs and are sticking to the carrot tops, add a bit more garlic and lemon zest to help ramp up the flavour.
Nuts. You can make this carrot top pesto with other nuts or completely nut-free if you're not a fan of pine nuts. I've also made pesto with almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and peanuts and had success with it all!
Cheese. Traditional pesto usually has parmesan cheese in it. When I have it fresh at home, I will use parmesan cheese for the recipe, but when I don't, I like to use nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a plant-based alternative which mimics the flavour of parmesan cheese. As my partner is dairy-free, I will often use this to make the cheese flavour in dishes.
Olive oil. I cannot stress enough the importance of extra virgin olive oil. Not only does it impact flavour, but it impacts texture and consistency. Plus a good quality olive oil has numerous health benefits.
Lemon. Citrus is a necessity for pesto as it helps neutralise the flavours and adds, what I like to call, a spark! You can substitute this with other citrus fruits, but I like the pungent flavour from the lemon. Don't substitute for non-fresh citrus juice!!
How to make carrot top pesto
- Separate carrots
Separate carrot tops from the carrots. You can use the carrots for my Honey Roasted Carrot Recipe.
Remove the leaves from the stems of the carrot tops and finely chop the stems (as they are quite thick and won't blend well in the food processor if you don't chop them first).
I like to use herb scissors as these make the process a lot faster! - Toast pine nuts
This step isn't strictly necessary but if you've ever smelt the aroma from toasted pine nuts, you'll know why I'm suggesting it. Toasting really brings out the pine nuts nutty sweetness and allows it to release their natural oils.
I toast mine by heating a fry pan (no oil needed) on a medium heat. Continuously toss the pine nuts until they're golden brown. Don't let them sit still for too long otherwise you'll end up with burnt nuts. - Blend/Process/Combine ingredients
Using whatever gadget you have (blender, food processor, stick blender, mortar and pestle), combine the ingredients until it reaches your desired consistency.
How to use carrot top pesto
You can use this as a pasta sauce, as dip for some crackers, on top of a Pumpkin Soup, as a salad dressing, or why not try it on top of my delicious Honey Roasted Carrots (trust me - AMAZING)!!!
I actually made the Honey Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto as a Christmas recipe and Oh. My. Gosh. Everyone was very impressed!!
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Meal prep with pesto
You can also meal prep with a lot of the dishes you make with carrot top pesto. Pesto keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days if stored in an airtight container. The bright green might fade to a darker green, but it will still be just as delicious as Day 1!
Combine it with the carrots, and you can have it as a side to a main dish! Why not try:
Or you can have it in a pasta dish, stir fry, a dip with some crackers and cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Carrot tops are completely edible and the combination of the toasted nuts, oil and herbs makes it an extremely delicious condiment to have on a range of dishes!
Yes you can. I would suggest freezing in a ziplock bag with no extra air. This will help the carrot top pesto retain its colour. It may still discolour from a bright green to a slightly darker green but it will be just as tasty.
Carrot tops are slightly bitter in flavour with a natural saltiness. The citrus from the lemon in the pesto helps balance this. In addition with the nuts and herbs, it makes a delicious alternative to your traditional basil pesto.
You can. Nuts add extra depth to the pesto, but you can definitely make the dish without nuts. Or you can swap to a different nut if you wish. The flavour will vary slightly, but it'll still have the underlying flavours from the herbs, citrus and oil.
Recipe
Carrot Top Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch carrot tops 1 cup packed
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh basil See Note 1
- ¼ cup pine nuts See Note 2
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or parmesan See Note 3
Instructions
Separate carrots
- Separate carrot tops from the carrots. Remove the leaves from the stems of the carrot tops and finely chop the stems (as they are quite thick and won't blend well in the food processor if you don't chop them first).
Toast pine nuts
- This step isn't strictly necessary but if you've ever smelt the aroma from toasted pine nuts, you'll know why I'm suggesting it. Toasting really brings out the pine nuts nutty sweetness and allows it to release their natural oils.
- I toast mine by heating a fry pan (no oil needed) on a medium heat. Continuously toss the pine nuts until they're golden brown. Don't let them sit still for too long otherwise you'll end up with burnt nuts.
Blend/Process/Combine
- Using whatever gadget you have (blender, food processor, stick blender, mortar and pestle), combine the ingredients until it reaches your desired consistency.
- This recipe makes one cup.
Notes
I like making my pesto with basil, but you could use oregano, mint, spring onion - whatever tickles your fancy. If you don't want the additional herbs and are sticking to the carrot tops, add a bit more garlic and lemon zest to help ramp up the flavour. Note 2 (Nuts)
You can make this carrot top pesto with other nuts if you're not a fan of pine nuts. I've also made pesto with almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and peanuts and had success with it all! You could also go completely seed and nut free. Just add another tablespoon of olive oil. Note 3 (Cheese)
Traditional pesto usually has parmesan cheese in it. When I have it fresh at home, I will use parmesan cheese for the recipe, but when I don't, I like to use nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a plant-based alternative which mimics the flavour of parmesan cheese. As my partner is dairy-free, I will often use this to make the cheese flavour in dishes.
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