Super Easy Carrot Top Pesto (zero waste!)
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Forget the usual suspects of basil and the likes, this carrot top pesto is super easy to make and tastes amazing. It’s a real case of zero waste too.
You know me, never let anything go to waste! Well, this summer I just had to use every last scrap of the few veggies that I have grown in the garden and the last of the carrots are now coming to an end so I thought I’d share with you my super easy recipe for Carrot Top Pesto.
Yes this recipe uses the green fluffy fronds of the carrots and not the orange bit at all.
You can even buy carrots in the supermarket that still have their fronds, so look out for those and use every last bit of that carrot.
Carrot fronds are full of nutrients and have a sweet flavour, not at all bitter. They make a great pesto.
A passion for pesto!
I have used this recipe so many times and in fact I put it in my Passion For Pestos ebook which you really should add to your virtual library if you like easy fun recipes for healthy goodies.
A Passion For Pesto
With over 75 easy recipes for pestos from herbal sauces to those using veggies. There are even weedy pestos too. And for something completely different fruit pesto dessert sauces. Finally, there are recipes for how to use your delicious homemade pestos too.
What is pesto anyway
Pesto originates in Genoa in Italy and the name comes from the latin ‘to pound’ because you make this sauce by pounding the ingredients into a paste/sauce.
The ingredients for pesto are normally basil, pine nuts, parmesan (or other hard Italian cheese), olive oil and salt and pepper.
Ingredients for carrot top pesto
- 2 tbsp almonds
- 30g/1 1/4 oz carrot fronds
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- juice and zest of 1/2 orange
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make this pesto
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan and watch them carefully as they can catch and burn in seconds. Toasting the nuts gives them so much more flavour.
- Chop the carrot fronds and toss into a food processor along with the coriander and the almonds.
- Mince the garlic and add to the processor with the juice and grated zest of half an orange.
- Give it a whizz and then add the parmesan and start to drizzle in the oil until you get the consistency you prefer.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon into a small sterilised jar and cover with a tablespoon of olive oil to seel the top of the pesto from air and to keep that gorgeous green colour.
How long will this pesto keep?
Your carrot top pesto will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Keep the top of the pesto covered with olive oil.
You can freeze this either in a freezer-proof bag or jar or in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.
Simply freeze then empty the ice cubes into a bag and just take one out at a time whenever you want to use this delicious pesto.
How to serve
Enjoy your carrot top pesto on pasta, slathered on to a baked potato, or as a tasty addition to a chicken salad sandwich.
Spoon some into a simple tomato soup for added flavour. There are so many ways you can use this tasty sauce.
Looking for more quick and easy pesto recipes to try? Then check these out before you go;
Allergy-friendly vegan nut-free pesto
Carrot Top Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp almonds
- 30 g carrot fronds/tops
- 2 tbsp coriander chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 orange juice and zest
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan and watch them carefully as they can catch and burn in seconds. Toasting the nuts gives them so much more flavour.
- Chop the carrot fronds and toss into a food processor along with the coriander and the almonds.
- Mince the garlic and add to the processor with the juice and grated zest of half an orange.
- Give it a whizz and then add the parmesan and start to drizzle in the oil until you get the consistancy you prefer.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon into a small sterilised jar and cover with a tablespoon of olive oil to seel the top of the pesto from air and to keep that gorgeous green colour.
I am still a whole foods newbie, struggling to baby step my way into gardening and incorporating all these strange flavors and textures into my untrained palate. What are pestos and what are they used for? Same question for chutneys.
pestos are raw green sauces, use on pasta, swirled into soup or as a dip with chips and veggie sticks. Chutneys are like a savoury jam. Hope this helps.
K x
Hmm. Sounds useful. What are savory jams for?
This sounds scrummy. I have never even thought of trying carrot tops before. I don’t have much luck growing them, but I do have just a few in the garden. I shall taste a top tomorrow, and make this pesto!
Hope you tried this one Lesley, it really makes you think twice about tossing any greenery away!
K x
We farm vegetables wholesale, supplemented by selling at the local farmer’s market. I have had people ask in the past if anyone eats carrot tops. Now we have an interesting recipe to share with our carrot bunches! We will of course include the recipe source on the handout.
Hi Ellen. That is great and I am so pleased you have now found a way of using all those gorgeous green tops. Glad to have helped and thrilled you are sharing my web site.
K x
I see where you toast the almonds, but no mention of them after that, unless I’m missing something? I assume you add them into the food processor after they’ve cooled, correct? This is such a unique idea and I love pesto, so I am excited to try this!
Sorry Meg, completely forgot to add that you should toss the toasted almonds into the food processor along with the carrot tops. Have now ammended the recipe.
K x
Hi Karon
I’ve made this twice now as we’ve had fresh carrots with tops from our veg box scheme for the last two weeks and it was suggested to make pesto so I found you on google. Normally I would have thrown the tops away. This week I added gruyere instead of parmesan as we didn’t have any and a mix of pine nuts and almonds – tastes great!
Thanks for sharing, I’m a home made pesto convert! I shall be coming back for more inspiration soon.
Thanks Helen, so thrilled you liked the pesto and are now a convert to home made stuff.
K x
How long will the pesto last in the fridge?
2 weeks max, top up with olive oil to seal and keep colour green
K x
I first made this several years ago & absolutely loved it. Just saw bunched carrots on our local food hub & was really hoping I would be able to find the recipe again & so happy I did!
I’m veggie leaning vegan & have always used nutritional yeast rather than dairy cheese & it’s worked brilliantly.
Thanks so much for this recipe.
Hi Louise
Glad you like the recipe so much and good to hear it works so well with the nutritional yeast for a real vegan version.
K