Total time:10 mins
Servings:6 to 8
You can use carrot greens as you would parsley or cilantro, sprinkling them on a dish as a garnish, or tossing them in salads or salsas; or you can cook them as you would beet greens or kale, sauteed with garlic and oil and a splash of vinegar.
For this recipe, I turned a whole head of carrot tops into a lovely, lemony pesto, using the same core ingredients as a classic basil pesto, and including fresh basil leaves to add a layer of sweet, floral essence to balance the earthy flavor of the carrot greens.
Use it like you would any pesto, to toss with pasta, spread on sandwiches or toasts, or to drizzle over cooked potatoes, eggs, chicken breast and so on. It’s a sauce that makes the most of an excellent ingredient that has been at your fingertips all along, just waiting to be discovered rather than discarded.
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- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 small cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 cups lightly packed, well washed and dried carrot top greens (from 1 1-pound bunch of carrots)
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, plus more as needed (see NOTE)
- 1/3 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
In a food processor, process the pine nuts with garlic until minced. Add the carrot tops, basil, cheese, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper and process until finely minced. With the machine running, slowly pour the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube and process until well blended.
NOTE: If your bunch of carrots yields less than 4 cups of greens, add as much basil as you need to get a total of 5 cups of greens.
Per serving (2 to 3 tablespoons), based on 8
Calories: 197; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 219 mg; Carbohydrates: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 1 g; Protein: 3 g
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
From cookbook author and registered nutritionist Ellie Krieger.
Tested by Olga Massov; email questions to [email protected].
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