Carrot Top Pesto / Vegan and Oil-Free
This vegan carrot top pesto is a delicious way to use those leftover carrot tops! Fresh carrot greens are just as edible as the root and are *loaded* with nutrients. This recipe has a whole cup of walnuts in it, so it tastes rich and creamy while being oil-free.
When picking out carrots, it’s easy to overlook the value of the carrot tops. Fresh carrots have as much going for them above the ground as they do under. Just as edible as carrots, and loaded with nutrients, carrot tops have a faint carrot taste with a nice parsley finish. These leafy greens also make one mean pesto.
This vegan carrot top pesto recipe is deliciously oil-free. It has a whole cup of walnuts in it, so it tastes rich and creamy without adding oil. When shopping for carrot tops, look for fresh, vibrantly green leaves that have a little pep to them, and remove the thick stems before adding them to the food processor. If your carrot tops are shy of 4 cups, don’t worry. For a customized taste, you can add other herbs like basil or parsley to make 4 cups total. Once you make carrot top pesto, you’ll look at carrots in a whole new light!
There are so many reasons to embrace this versatile green.
Low waste
Versatile, can be used just like regular pesto
Fresh, spring taste
Oil-free
Nutrient-dense
Raw and Vegan
Note: If you are using the pesto as a pasta sauce, save about one cup of the salted pasta water (after the pasta is cooked) to thin the pesto. The salty pasta water will add additional flavor to the pesto. If you are using the pesto as a spread or toss with grains or veggies, use plain water and adjust the salt to taste.
Here’s everything you need to make Carrot Top Pesto
Ingredients
1 cup of walnuts
4 cups of fresh carrot tops, thick stems removed and large chopped (about 1 large bunch)
1 garlic clove, minced (use 2 cloves if you love garlic)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
¾ teaspoon of kosher salt (we are going to add salted pasta water later)
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
½ cup of pasta water (if using for pasta) otherwise use plain water
Makes 1½ cups
How to make Carrot Top Pesto
Step 1:
1. Add 1 cup of walnuts to a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, followed by the carrot tops. Pulse until the walnuts and carrot tops are nicely blended but not completely smooth.
Step 2:
2. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Pulse until a chunky paste begins to form.
Step 3:
3. With the motor running, pour the reserve pasta water (or regular water), in a steady stream to thin the pesto until a creamy consistency is reached.
Step 4:
4. Store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator or toss with pasta, grains or vegetables.
Enjoy carrot top pesto anywhere you would use traditional pesto. Toss with pasta, grains or veggies. Spread on a cracker, bread, or use a flavorful dip. Your imagination is the limit!
Other recipes with leafy greens to enjoy:
Carrot Top Pesto (vegan and oil-free)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of walnuts to a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, followed by the carrot tops. Pulse until the walnuts and carrot tops are nicely blended but not completely smooth.
- Add the minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Pulse until a chunky paste begins to form.
- With the motor running, pour the reserve pasta water (or regular water), in a steady stream to thin the pesto until a creamy consistency is reached.
- Store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator or toss with pasta, grains, or vegetables.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
139.90Fat (grams)
11.86Sat. Fat (grams)
1.15Carbs (grams)
6.70Fiber (grams)
3.33Net carbs
3.37Sugar (grams)
0.92Protein (grams)
5.20Sodium (milligrams)
293.74Cholesterol (grams)
0.05Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.
