Carrot Top Pesto

5 from 52 votes

Stop throwing away your carrot tops. You can make this 5-minute carrot greens pesto instead. It's loaded with flavor and nutrition and easy to make.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: ½ cups pesto

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Debra Klein

Equipment

Ingredients

1 bunch carrot tops* tough stems removed. About 2 cups chopped.
1 cup arugula*
½ cup hemp seeds*
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic zested or pressed
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
⅓ cup olive oil*

Instructions

Separate the leaves from the tough stems. Wash the leaves well.
Place carrot tops, arugula, hemp seeds, zest and juice of lemon, garlic, S+P in the bowl of food processor and pulse. Scrape down the sides and continue to process until everything is uniformly chopped.
With the motor running, slowly stream in. the olive oil. Stop to scrape down the side and process again until all the oil is fully incorporated and emulsified.
Store pesto in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to three months.

Notes

GREENS: You should have about 3 cups total between the carrot leaves and the arugula. Any combo is fine and feel free to substitute any herbs or greens to make up the 3 cups.

HEMP SEEDS: It's OK to substitute other seeds or nuts. Keep in mind, harder nuts will be more difficult to grind into a smooth consistency. Soaking nuts in hot water for 30 minutes will help. Using a high speed blender will also assist in the blending process.

OIL: to make this oil free, omit the olive oil, add in ¼ cup tahini with the other ingredients and then, with the motor running, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until you reached your desired consistency.

FREEZER: You can freeze carrot top pesto for up to three months. I like to freeze in ice cube trays that are later emptied into zip top bags. You can then add a cube or two to a sauce, straight from the freezer to add depth and rich flavor.

Nutrition