A Fresh Take on a Classic: Carrot Greens Pesto
As I write this Thanksgiving is less than a week away… This is one of my favorite times of year. And don’t get me started on all of the delicious food I’m looking forward to!
Carrots are a popular vegetable choice around our home - at the holidays and in general. And while the carrot tops and greens are usually thrown out (or composted!) did you know they actually make a fantastic addition to a number of dishes? Rather than being discarded as ‘waste’, carrot greens take center stage in this delicious pesto recipe! And besides being tasty, did you know carrot greens have 6X more vitamin C than the carrot themselves?! PLUS potassium, calcium, and other nutrients? So many benefits to this amazing food!
Now as I was researching carrots for this post I came across some general internet questions about the safety of eating carrot greens - in my reading it seems this is because, like many greens, carrots contain alkaloids, which in VERY large amounts can be harmful. However in small amounts (like a normal person amount!) there hasn’t been any concern found. And if you do a search you’ll find carrot greens used in tons of recipes. Just be sure you use organically grown carrots, so there’s no concern of dangerous chemicals. I have no personal qualms about eating carrot greens, and I’m happy to share this recipe with you! If you have any concerns though I would do your own research! This article has a great write-up if you want to read more.
Interested in trying this pesto for yourself? Check out the recipe below! And looking for a printable copy? Get that here!
Carrot Greens Pesto
Ingredients
Carrot tops from 1 large or 2 small bunches of carrots (will yield about 1 cup blanched)
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 of a lemon)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil (plus more if needed)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste if desired)
1/8 tsp black pepper (more to taste if desired)
Optional: pine nuts or walnuts
Instructions
Bring a pot of water to boil. Set aside a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Remove carrot leaves from thick stem pieces and add to the boiling water, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until tender and bright green. Remove the greens and immediately add to the ice bath to stop the cooking process, leaving for a few minutes until cool.
Remove the carrot tops and press between towels on a plate to remove excess liquid.
In the food processor add garlic clove, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper (plus pine nuts or walnuts if desired). Add the drained carrot greens. Pulse first, then blend until a paste begins to form. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the processor. Slowly add more olive oil if needed to reach desired consistency.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The greens may darken, but that’s normal. You can also freeze it and store for up to 6 months (I like to use ice cube trays), but if you plan to do so leave out the cheese in the steps above as it doesn’t freeze well, and just mix it in later when you plan to use it.
And that’s it! Amazing pesto from the normally discarded tops of carrots. No food waste, amazing nutrition, annnnnnnnd a delicious side? Yes, please!
If you try the recipe I’d love to know your thoughts! Leave me a comment below!
Happy cooking!
