Carrot Top Pesto
Carrot Top Pesto is a sustainable way to use every last bit of your farmers market or garden-grown carrot bunch. This no-cheese version is naturally vegan.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups carrot tops from 1 bunch carrots
- ½ to 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup raw cashews or toasted pine nuts
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ¼ to ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add cashews and garlic clove to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to start breaking down and forming a paste.
- Tear the carrot tops, using mostly the leafy portion, into the bowl. Add the parsley. Put the lid back on and run on low until well combined.
- Zest the lemon into the food processor, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the kosher salt and black pepper.
- With the food processor running on low, drizzle in the olive oil until desired texture is reached. You don't want it to be runny, or a thick paste.
Notes
- The carrot top and parsley amounts scale together: 2 cups carrot tops pairs with ½ cup parsley, and 3 cups carrot tops pairs with 1 cup parsley. Use the same ratio for your olive oil: about ¼ cup for the smaller batch, closer to ½ cup for the larger one.
- This recipe originally was published using pine nuts, but it has been adjusted to use cashews as they're more approachable. You can substitute pine nuts, walnuts, or even macadamia nuts if those are available to you.
- If you don't have parsley, use additional carrot tops, mint, or basil. Mint or basil will give the pesto a sweeter finish, while parsley and carrot tops are more earthy.