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You'll Love This Inexpensive Fresh Carrot Top Pesto

Text: Carrot top pesto with a photo of the pesto

Why I Love This Carrot Top Pesto


The first reason I love this carrot top pesto is how versatile it is! I've eaten this pesto on crackers & bread. In addition, I've thinned it out to use as a dressing on a salad, or as a pasta sauce.


Carrot tops are something I previously would throw away. One day I wanted pesto but didn't have any basil. I checked my fridge, and I had just harvested my carrots. I grabbed the carrots removed the tops and started my pesto.



Carrot Top Pesto Recipe Tips


The first step in the recipe is removing the leaves from the carrot tops. To do this, you want to make sure you pull the green leaves off the larger tough stem. I bought this herb stripper, saving me time in the kitchen. Next, you will add all ingredients except for the oil to the processor, process, and then add the oil to the food processor. Make sure you remove the tough stems for a better pesto.


For this batch, I used a 1-cup mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews. I also left this batch thick & coarse - I prefer it this way when I'm topping my homegrown potato or adding to my homemade (and homegrown!) tomato soup. In addition to those recipes, if I had thinned this out, I could have used it on my Zucchini Crust Pizza!


More Inspiration For Carrot Top Uses


Are you looking for another way to use your carrot tops besides pesto? Try making scrap vegetable broth soup - the hardest part is remembering to save the scrap vegetables. It's another quick and easy recipe that will help you waste less in your kitchen.

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