This healthy carrot top pesto recipe is versatile, naturally vegan, and super budget-friendly. Plus, it helps to reduce food waste by making a delicious use of the carrot tops. Feel free to use any nuts that you have on hand for convenience and variety! Serve over a slice of freshly baked Artisan bread, baked potatoes, or pasta!
Dear Carrot Tops,
Where have you been my whole life?! You taste utterly amazing!
Why in the world carrot harvesters/producers/manufacturers take you off and give me only the orange part is beyond me and makes me very sad for you. Don’t worry carrot tops, you can now find refuge in my refrigerator, specifically next to the fail-proof homemade mayonnaise as carrot top pesto!
One reason I love having a subscription to a community supported agriculture (CSA) box is that it forces us to try new things and new recipes. Like this carrot top pesto. But I’ve tried other new dishes too, like whole roasted carrots.
I washed the whole carrots – tops and all – and placed them on a seasoned cookie sheet. I liberally drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, generously sprinkled them with salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven at 400F for about 30 minutes.
Let me tell you…the carrots came out awesome! They were super sweet, tender and juicy.
Can you cook the green tops of carrots?
The carrot tops? Well, not so much.
The high temperature caused them to be brittle and burned. They flaked off the stems, fell off forks and made a huge mess on the table. What little pieces of top that did make it into a mouth just tasted bad.
The next time we got whole carrots in the CSA box, I skipped the oven and tried another recipe that I’ve been wanting to try: carrot top pesto.
Folks, we have a winner! This stuff is SO good and SO easy to make, I should have started making this eons ago!
Carrot Top Pesto Ingredients
- nuts (I used pecans)
- garlic
- carrot tops
- fresh herbs (I used basil)
- extra virgin olive oil (how to find quality olive oil)
Note: See recipe card below for complete ingredient amounts
How to Make Carrot Top Pesto (Step-By-Step Instructions)
Step 1. Measure nuts and garlic into a blender or food processor. Pulse until a rough paste forms. How much of a paste you form will depend on the type of nut you use. (The natural oils from the nut will be released to form the paste).
Step 2. Add carrot tops and basil, and pulse until everything is in teeny tiny pieces and creates an even thicker, rougher paste.
Note: If your food processor is small (like mine), you might have to stop and move some of the herbs around a bit in order to get them to chop. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect though. You’ll be blending/processing again soon.
Step 3. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and pulse/blend until the mixture is mostly smooth. If the pesto is too thick, add additional olive oil if desired, 1 Tbsp at a time.
Note: I like mine to be spreadable, so I ended up adding another 1/4 cup for 3/4 cup total.
Step 4. Season with salt and pepper and you’re done! Makes about 1 cup.
Carrot Tops Recipe Tips
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge.
- If you’re using quality olive oil, the pesto will likely solidify in the fridge. Bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before using.
Besides using food you would ordinarily throw away, the best part of this recipe is that it’s SO versatile. You can use any type of nuts and any type of herbs you want or happen to have at the time.
If you’re going to make substitutions, keep these three things in mind:
- Use less of items that have strong flavors, like peanuts or cilantro.
- Use more of items that have subtle flavors, like macadamia nuts or parsley.
- Taste as you go, and adjust. Always!
FAQs
Yes! My favorite of of the carrot tops recipes is this recipe for carrot top pesto! It’s quick, easy, and delicious.
Yes! As a leafy green, carrot tops are full of vitamins, nutrients and even some protein.
Yes, carrots tops are a perfect raw ingredient for carrot top pesto. They are an excellent substitute for herbs such as basil and parsley.
To Serve Carrot Tops Pesto
This pesto packs a HUGE flavor punch. Consider smearing it on bread for grilled sandwiches, or adding some to homemade spaghetti sauce. It would also be delicious over baked potatoes.
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Easy and Delicious Carrot Top Pesto
This healthy carrot top pesto recipe is versatile, naturally vegan, and super budget-friendly. Plus, it helps to reduce food waste by making a delicious use of the carrot tops! Feel free to use any nuts that you have on hand for convenience and variety!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Blender / Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp nuts, roughly chopped (I used pecans)
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 cups carrot tops (from 4–5 carrots, roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup packed fresh herbs (I used basil)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Measure nuts and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until a rough paste forms. How much of a paste you form will depend on the type of nut you use. (The natural oils from the nut will be released to form the paste).
- Add carrot tops and basil, and pulse until everything is in teeny tiny pieces and creates an even thicker, rougher paste.
- If your food processor is small (like mine), you might have to stop and move some of the herbs around a bit in order to get them to chop. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect though. You’ll be blending/processing again soon.
- Add 1/2 cup olive oil and pulse/blend until the mixture is mostly smooth. If the pesto is too thick, add additional olive oil if desired, 1 Tbsp at a time. I like mine to be spreadable, so I ended up adding another 1/4 cup for 3/4 cup total.
- Makes about 1 cup. Store in a glass jar in the fridge. If you’re using quality olive oil, the pesto will likely solidify in the fridge. Bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before using.
Notes
Besides using food you would ordinarily throw away, the best part of this recipe is that it’s SO versatile. You can use any type of nuts and any type of herbs you want or happen to have at the time.
If you’re going to make substitutions, keep these three things in mind:
- Use less of items that have strong flavors, like peanuts or cilantro.
- Use more of items that have subtle flavors, like macadamia nuts or parsley.
- Taste as you go, and adjust. Always!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 107
I never eaten the top…it tastes bitter and rough to me… but glad to learn about…. pesto…. I may combine carrot to with callaloo and cabbage….
Bless you ….
Hope you like it, Maxine!
Did you use the carrot top stems in this pesto recipe?
I used everything that was green! 🙂
I’ve been wanting to use up my carrot tops for a while instead of just composting them, so I finally tried your recipe and I’m so glad I did! Yum! This might’ve been the best pesto I’ve ever made. I used pistachios (what I usually use for pesto), toasting them first, and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe! I wanted to suggest maybe adding in which parts of the carrot tops to use, since I had to separately look it up (more leaves, less stem, from what I found), unless I just missed it above. Thanks again for the delicious (and easy) recipe!
I learned that carrot tops are edible from another shopper at the Farmer’s market.
Looked up for a recipe but made a chutney instead . Slightly sautéed in oil chopped carrot tops , 2 chopped carrots, cilantro and 2 green chilies . Added salt and a bit lemon juice and blended till smooth . Very tasty with chapathis and rice . Family loved it .
Thanks for the recipe. Will make the pesto next time .
Please list nutrients in carrot top pesto!
Hi Susan! You are welcome to input our recipe into a calorie/nutrient calculator!
I made this pesto today as this was my first time growing carrots. Awesome recipe! I used walnuts and I increased basil to about a cup. I can’t wait to tell all my friends 😀
Glad you enjoyed it D’Shondra!
Pesto of all kinds freezes really well. Don’t add parmesan cheese to it ( if the recipe calls for it) before freezing. I divide mine up into small quantities or fill an ice cube tray with it, freeze and place in freezer containers. It can be added frozen to soups and sauces or thawed and used as fresh adding in the parmesan after thawing. I find that it tastes just as fresh and delicious as fresh pesto.
This came out perfect! Printed, laminated and also shared! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome!
I’m curious, do you think the pesto could be preserved to enjoy later? Frozen? Canned? How long will the pesto stay fresh in the refrigerator?
It stays fresh in the fridge for a while so long as the herbs are completely covered in oil (it acts as a preservative). I don’t know if you can can it, but you could probably freeze it.
My husband wants ‘that little green stuff’ in his chicken broth so I add finely chopped carrot tops to my homemade broth.
Oh yes! Oddly, they’re pretty tasty in salads too. 🙂
I’ve always wondered if they could be dried and used like dried parsley — but I almost never use parsley. So into my stock pot they go! Along with all the other scraps and scribbles of vegetable.
LOL – smart to realize you never use parsley, so why bother!! 🙂
Genius! I wish I had known this last spring when I had tons of carrots in the garden! Traditional pesto is expensive, so I’m thrilled to not only have another use for next spring’s carrots but a frugal way to make pesto 🙂 Thanks, Tiffany!
You’re most welcome Melissa!
Hi,
I have dried the tops and used them like dried parsley.
I take the dehydrated carrot tops and blend them up into a powder for smoothies, soups, etc
(some powder may ‘accidentally’ (LOL) show up in family meals from time to time to try to increase veggie intake for the veggie intolerant! – so far it has not been noted by picky eaters!)