Easy Carrot Top Pesto (Vegan)
This easy carrot top pesto is a healthy, delicious way to prevent waste in the kitchen.
Equipment
- Blender or mini food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed carrot tops chopped roughly
- Zest and juice of half a large lemon*
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ cup roasted walnuts
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more to adjust consistency
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and dry your carrot greens in a salad spinner. Remove the leafless ends of the stems if they are thick or tough.
- Combine the carrot greens in a blender with the lemon juice and zest, garlic cloves, walnuts, and red pepper flakes. Add ¼ cup of oil and roughly blend.
- Continue adding a little more olive oil until a smooth sauce forms and the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and stir them in.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a year.
- To prevent browning, it is a good idea to pour a layer of olive oil or a little more lemon juice on top of the pesto.
Notes
If you don’t have a zester, you can substitute more lemon juice for the zest.
You can also use pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, or any other nut you prefer!
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 100mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 52IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg
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