Carrot Top Pesto

Carrot Top Pesto

Our Easter dinner included roasted tri-colored carrots served with this pesto. So tasty I wanted to share this recipe.  Vibrant, herby carrot top pesto with fresh basil and hidden carrot tops make a delicious pesto  So tasty with grains, roasted vegetables, chicken, and more. Ready in just 5 minutes!  If you’ve made it before and thought “Hmm, that’s resourceful, but I wouldn’t make it again,” we urge you to give this version a try! Thanks to a little help from fresh basil, it’s just mildly earthy and worthy of saving in your recipe box!  Thank You Jennifer for sharing your dish and the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup loosely packed carrot tops, tough stems removed   

    (~1 small or 1/2 medium bunch yields ~1 cup or 20 g)

1 ½ cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, large stems removed

1/3 cup pine nuts (or sub walnuts, pistachios, or cashews)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more as needed)

1-2 Tbsp water (plus more as needed)

Directions:

Remove the carrot greens from a bunch of carrots, rinse them, and choose the freshest looking greens. Discard the rest (or save for bunnies — they love them!).

Add all your pesto ingredients except the water to a food processor (or small blender) and process until it's broken down into a chunky mixture. Add water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time until creamy and dippable, keeping in mind water will dilute the flavor, so avoid adding too much (we used 2 tablespoons total).

Taste and adjust as needed, adding more olive oil for richness, lemon juice for brightness, basil if too thin, or water to reach desired consistency.

Enjoy with roasted carrots, potatoes, pasta, and more! Leftover pesto will keep stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, but will lose some of its bright green color.