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Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Carrot Top Pesto

• Unbelievably Delicious: Prepare for a flavor explosion! This pesto is bright, herby, slightly peppery, and utterly scrumptious. It’s a taste sensation that will surprise and delight you.
• Effortlessly Easy: With just 7 ingredients and a total prep time of under 5 minutes, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or when you need a quick flavor booster.
• Zero Waste: Say goodbye to food waste! This recipe provides a fantastic, practical use for the entire carrot, ensuring no part of this nutrient-rich vegetable is discarded unnecessarily. It’s a conscious choice for sustainable living.
• No Basil? No Problem!: If fresh basil is scarce or out of season, this carrot top pesto allows you to enjoy the versatile goodness of pesto without relying on traditional ingredients.
• Incredibly Versatile: This pesto is a culinary chameleon! Toss it with zucchini noodles (zoodles), mix into cauliflower rice, serve as a dip for fresh vegetables, or use it to infuse rich flavor into soups, stews, stir-fries, and sauces. The possibilities are endless!
• Nutrient-Dense Powerhouse: Far from just a tasty topping, this pesto is loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and beneficial phytonutrients, making it a healthy addition to any meal.
• Boost Your Gut Health: Introducing diverse ingredients like bitter greens is excellent for diversifying your gut microbiome. Variety truly is the spice of life, and these greens offer unique compounds that support digestive wellness.
• Super Tasty (Seriously!): We can’t emphasize enough how good this tastes. Its fresh, herbaceous notes are truly addictive, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
• The Answer to “What to Do with Carrot Greens?”: Never again wonder what to do with those leafy green tops. This quick and easy carrot top pesto is the delicious solution you’ve been searching for!

Creative Ways to Use Carrot Tops (Beyond Pesto)

Beyond this incredible pesto, carrot tops are incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into many other dishes, adding fresh flavor and a nutritional boost. Don’t limit yourself to just one use!

• Add to Salads: Finely chop fresh carrot greens and toss them into your favorite salads. Their slightly bitter, earthy flavor blends beautifully with other greens. Try them in this easy green salad with capers or my hearty Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad. Any salad will be elevated with this fresh, peppery addition.
• Garnish Soups: Sprinkle chopped carrot tops on top of carrot ginger soup or any vegetable soup as a fresh, herbaceous garnish. They add a pop of color and an extra layer of flavor.
• Boost Your Smoothies: Toss a handful of carrot tops into your favorite green smoothie for an extra nutrient kick. Their flavor is subtle enough to blend in, especially if you enjoy an earthy green taste. If you prefer to mask the green flavor, try a fruit-heavy smoothie like a chocolate cherry smoothie.
• Flavor Cooked Dishes: Use carrot greens as a fresh herb in cooked recipes. They make a wonderful, vibrant garnish for dishes like this simple teriyaki stir-fry or these savory Dijon Lentils with Roasted Veggies. Add them at the end of cooking for maximum freshness.
• Substitute for Other Greens or Herbs: Get creative! Carrot tops can often substitute for other leafy greens or fresh herbs in recipes. I’ve even used them in guacamole when cilantro wasn’t available, and it was surprisingly delicious. Think of them as a peppery parsley or a milder arugula.

Optimal Storage for Fresh Carrot Tops

Proper storage is key to keeping your carrot greens fresh and extending their shelf life, ensuring they are ready whenever you decide to make this delicious pesto or incorporate them into other dishes.

• Separate from Carrots: It’s crucial to separate the greens from the carrots as soon as you bring them home. The greens draw moisture and nutrients from the root, causing the carrots to soften and spoil more quickly. This separation helps preserve both parts.
• Wash and Dry Thoroughly: Treat carrot tops like any other delicate leafy green. Wash them thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt or grit, then dry them completely using a salad spinner or by patting them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Excess moisture can lead to premature spoilage.
• Store in an Airtight Container: Once clean and dry, place the carrot greens in a dry plastic bag or an airtight container. Line the container with a paper towel to absorb any residual moisture, which helps prevent wilting and extends freshness.
• Refrigerate for Freshness: Stored correctly in the refrigerator, carrot greens will stay fresh for several days to a week, ready to be transformed into your next culinary creation.

Essential Ingredients & Smart Substitutions

This recipe is designed for flexibility, allowing you to adapt it based on what you have in your pantry or garden. Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients and potential swaps:

• Carrot Greens: These are the star of our pesto! They provide a unique, slightly bitter, and herbaceous flavor that’s both fresh and earthy. If you don’t have carrot tops but still crave pesto, feel free to use other greens. You could make a delicious arugula spinach pesto with walnuts or a rich kale cashew pesto. Or, of course, the classic basil and pine nut pesto is always a hit. The beauty of pesto is that almost any leafy green or herb can form its base!
• Arugula: I adore the vibrant, peppery kick that arugula brings to this pesto, which perfectly complements the earthiness of the carrot greens. If arugula isn’t to your taste or isn’t available, don’t worry! You can substitute it with other fresh greens or herbs. Excellent choices include fresh parsley (for a brighter, more herbaceous note), baby spinach (for a milder flavor and creamy texture), extra basil (if you happen to have some), or even baby kale leaves for added depth.
• Hemp Seeds: These small seeds are fantastic in pesto because they’re soft, easy to blend into a smooth consistency, and add a wonderful nutty flavor along with healthy fats. While hemp seeds are my go-to, nearly any nut or seed can work. Just be mindful that harder nuts might not achieve the same silky smooth texture in a standard food processor unless prepared correctly. For chunk-free pesto with harder nuts like cashews, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds, consider soaking them in hot water for about 30 minutes before blending, or use a high-speed blender. If you’re making this for Passover, cashews are a delicious and compliant substitute.
• Lemon: For the most vibrant flavor and to minimize waste, use both the zest and the fresh juice of a lemon. The zest provides aromatic oils that enhance the overall brightness, while the juice adds essential acidity. Always opt for organic lemons if possible, as conventional lemons are often heavily sprayed with pesticides. If fresh lemons aren’t available, a good quality organic bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch. For a subtle flavor variation, fresh lime zest and juice can also be used – I’ve tried it, and it’s absolutely delicious!
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is indispensable for that pungent, aromatic kick in any good pesto. I find a microplane zester works wonderfully for finely grating the garlic, ensuring it disperses evenly throughout the pesto without large chunks and reduces waste. A garlic press or finely mincing the cloves with a knife are also great options. If you don’t have fresh garlic, use about ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, but be sure it’s powder and not garlic salt, as that would significantly alter the seasoning.
• Olive Oil: A good quality extra virgin olive oil is key for achieving the classic pesto texture and adding a fruity, rich flavor. I use ⅓ cup in this recipe to create a beautifully emulsified, smooth sauce. For an oil-free alternative, you can omit the olive oil and instead add ¼ cup of tahini with the other ingredients. Then, with the food processor running, gradually stream in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.
• Spices: The recipe calls for coarse sea salt and crushed red pepper. The salt enhances all the flavors, while the red pepper adds a subtle warmth and a tiny kick. If you prefer more heat, don’t hesitate to increase the crushed red pepper to ½ teaspoon or even more. For an additional layer of spice, a pinch of white pepper (¼ to ½ teaspoon) can also be a delightful addition.

Smart Storage Tips for Your Pesto

This vibrant pesto is so delicious, you’ll want to make sure every last bit can be enjoyed. Proper storage ensures its freshness and flavor last as long as possible.

• Refrigerate for Short-Term: Store your freshly made pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. To help prevent browning and extend freshness, you can pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface of the pesto before sealing the container.
• Freeze for Long-Term: For longer storage, this pesto freezes beautifully for up to six months. Transfer the pesto to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room at the top for expansion as it freezes.
• Ice Cube Tray Method: A fantastic and convenient way to freeze pesto is in ice cube trays. Once frozen solid, pop out the pesto cubes and transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container. This method allows you to easily portion out small amounts, perfect for adding a burst of flavor to individual servings of sauces, dips, soups, or even directly into hot pasta. Simply drop a cube or two from the freezer into your dish, and it will melt and incorporate effortlessly.

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Carrot Top Pesto

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