Carrot Top Pesto
Carrot Top Pesto
One of the many reasons why it’s so satisfying to shop locally grown veggies is that they (and their greens) are much more fresh when they land in your kitchen than their grocery store counterparts. Not only do fresher veggies taste better and last longer, they’re more nutrient-dense! Our carrot tops are about as exciting as the carrots themselves if you know what to do with them, plus using the whole vegetable can help you get the most out of your grocery budget.
Enter this super simple, dairy-free pesto recipe. It’s springy and light and really delicious. Varying the components of a “staple food” (like pesto) can ensure your family’s nutrient intake is well-rounded. There’s so much more to pesto than the ol’ basil and pine nut situation!
Other ways to enjoy farm fresh carrot tops include:
chop them finely into salads and scrambles
add them to soups, stews, curries and daals
toss them into your green smoothie or juice
make vegetable broth with carrot tops and a variety of vegetable scraps
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds (we like walnuts, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds)
3-4 cups carrot tops, washed and roughly chopped
3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2/3 cup avocado oil
2 cloves garlic (or sub 1/2 teaspoon Raw Garlic Powder)
1 teaspoon sea salt (our Smoked Garlic Artisanal Salt works perfectly here)
Juice of one lemon
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add nuts and seeds and toast for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until toasted and fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
Combine all ingredients into a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Pulse to process, stopping to scrape down the sides, until thoroughly incorporated.
Taste and add a bit more salt and/or lemon juice if you like.
NOTE:
When toasting the nuts and seeds, toss in the unpeeled garlic cloves too. They will toast as well and that helps mellow the raw bitey flavor. Alternatively you could sub our Roasted Garlic Powder for a more subtle, sweet flavor.