A bright, fresh, and super easy carrot top & almond pesto. You can eat it as a dip or use it as a sauce for pasta or any grain.
Next to hummus, pesto is one of my favorite foods. I eat it as a dip, as a spread, and as a sauce to smother a big ol’ batch of pasta. For real, what could be better than spaghetti or penne noodles dripping with delicious and garlicky pesto? Not much. Not much at all.
This magical pesto is a twist on the typical basil and pine nuts because it’s made with carrot tops, you know, the long shaggy greens stems that are attached to carrots, and almonds. Did you know that you can eat carrot greens? You can (unless you’re allergic to carrots or carrot tops, then you shouldn’t), and it’s a great way to reduce food waste.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT TOP PESTO
The first thing that you’ll want to do is make sure that you buy organic. The idea of pesticides soaking into my greens, and my root vegetables, is an uncomfortable thought, so I buy organic whenever I can, especially if the produce doesn’t have a thick skin that you peel away, such as avocado, bananas, or melon.
Cut the greens away from the carrots and soak them in a bowl of clean water. Swish them around in the water to remove any dirt that may be stuck to the leaves. Rinse well and pat dry.
Toast a couple of cups of raw almonds in a skillet.
Put the almonds, carrot top greens, basil, oregano, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt in a food processor and grind into a perfectly delicious pesto.
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Yields Approximately 2 cups
A delicious, savory, and easy pesto made with carrot top greens and almonds.
10 minPrep Time
10 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- Carrot top pesto
- 2 cups (346 g) raw almonds
- 2 cups (82 g) coarsely chopped carrot top greens
- 1 cup (41 g) coarsely chopped basil
- 1 tsp fresh Italian oregano leaves
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- ½ tsp finely ground sea salt
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on medium heat and add the almonds. Toast for approximately 4 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Stir frequently. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the carrot top greens from the carrots and soak in a large bowl of water. Swish the greens to remove any dirt that’s stuck to the leaves. Rinse well and pat dry , coarsely chop, and place in your food processor with the almonds, basil, oregano, garlic, olive oil, sea salt, and lemon juice. Process for approximately 30 seconds, scrape the sides, and process for another 30 seconds, or until it is a thick, slightly oily, paste. Add more salt and/or garlic if desired and process again.
Notes
Do not eat if you're allergic to carrots or carrot top greens.
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