Don’t waste any parts of the carrot with this Easy Vegan Carrot Top Pesto! This vegan pesto uses a part of the carrot you might otherwise throw away for a no-waste recipe that is ready in 5 minutes.

This year, I have a raised bed garden for the first time ever. I don’t have much outdoor space, just a small front yard covered in giant agave plants. Earlier this winter, I was poking around and saw that if I pulled out a few small agave plants and one little bush, I had plenty of space to put in a 6 foot by 3 foot raised bed. So, in mid-January, I did exactly that! It’s not the most beautiful raised bed in the world, but it’s allowed me to do what I’ve dreamt about for years: grow my own herbs, vegetables, and flowers.

I started early in the year with a plethora of root veggies, all started from seed—radishes, beets, and, of course, carrots. The radishes were harvested months ago and succession-planted with more, but I waited patiently for my carrot greens to get big and bushy until I could feel the carrot growing beneath the loamy soil.

Last week, I grabbed ahold of a carrot top and gently wiggled it around until a beautiful carrot shook loose from the soil. I ate a few of the fresh carrots from the garden, but I had a big pile of beautiful carrot greens, and I wasn’t about to toss them straight into the compost. So, what to do instead? Make a big batch of beautiful carrot top pesto!

What do carrot top greens taste like?

Carrot top greens taste mild and sweet, with a little bit of parsley and a little bit of carrot flavor! Some people find them mildly bitter, but I haven’t experienced that. If yours have any bitterness, the lemon and salt in this recipe should cut that flavor.

I’ve found they don’t have a super bold flavor, which is why I love including other leafy herbs like basil or dill in the pesto.

How do you make carrot top pesto?

This carrot top pesto is made similarly to any other pesto recipe!

  1. To make it, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil in a small food processor or blender. I use my KitchenAid Cordless Chopper.
  2. Pulse a few times to break up the ingredients, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing frequently as the pesto breaks down.
  3. Keep adding oil and blending until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
  4. Taste and adjust as necessary, then transfer to a jar and store in the fridge until ready to use!

Tips for the best pesto

  • You’ll want to strip the leaves off the woodier carrot top stems for the most tender pesto
  • Combine with your favorite herbs for extra flavor! I used basil from the garden, but dill, cilantro, or other favorites would also be great and will all change the flavor.
  • Drizzle in the oil slowly to help it emulsify
  • Adjust the amount of oil to make it as thick or thin as you like. You can also thin it with water.
  • Remember to adjust for taste! Depending on your favorite type of pesto, add more salt, lemon, or nutritional yeast.
  • You can freeze pesto! Put it in a jar with a little extra room on the top (if it’s filled too high, it can crack when frozen), and you can have fresh pesto all year round.

Perfect pairings for your carrot top pesto:

Bakerita | Rachel Conners

Carrot Top Pesto

5 from 2 reviews
Don’t waste any parts of the carrot with this Easy Carrot Top Pesto! This vegan pesto uses a part of the carrot you might otherwise throw away, for a no waste recipe you’ll love.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 cup pesto

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup nut or seed of your choice, I used pecans
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 lemon, zested + juiced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, or Parmesan, if not vegan
  • 3 cups destemmed carrot tops
  • ½ to 1 cup other fresh herbs, I used basil
  • ⅓ cup olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in your food processor or blender.
    ½ cup nut or seed of your choice, 1 garlic clove, 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 3 cups destemmed carrot tops, ½ to 1 cup other fresh herbs
  • Drizzle the oil in as you blend, scraping the sides as needed to get everything fully blended. I like to make it pretty fine since carrot tops can be a little tougher than other herbs.
    ⅓ cup olive oil
  • Taste + adjust as needed. Use immediately or transfer to a jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to a year. 
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