This pesto is seriously one of the best I’ve tasted!
Don’t throw those carrot tops away! They are delicious and, did you know, they are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium! They can be added to baked potatoes instead of chives, toss with white beans, lightly sauté with a little garlic, pepper and olive oil, or sprinkle on top of roasted carrots! The possibilities are endless!
For the freshest and organic carrots with tops, visit your local farmers market.
Remove the greens from the carrots and discard the stems (you can freeze them in YOUR STOCK freezer bag). Fill a large bowl or a salad spinner with the colander inside with cold water, add the greens and swish them around a bit to remove any dirt, then let the greens soak for about 5 minutes. Any dirt or grit will fall to the bottom. Gently pick up the colander and pour out the water. Give the greens a few spins to remove excess water. If you don’t have a salad spinner, gently remove the greens, give them a shake to remove excess water and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Gently pat them dry.
Don’t have cashews?
You can use almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, or any other nuts you might have on hand. If the nuts are already salted, rinse them under warm water in a strainer to remove any excess salt. Don’t add salt when you’re processing the pesto, wait until the processing is finished to taste. Add the salt at the very end if needed.
Into the food processor
Add the greens, garlic, lemon juice, and nuts, pulse a few times to incorporate the ingredients. Then with the processor running drizzle in the olive oil, stopping to scrape down the sides and pulse a few times more. If the pesto is too thick, drizzle in a little water to thin it out. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Carrot Top and Spinach Pesto
Equipment
- Immersion Blender When you have a small amount to blend or smooth out your sauce right in the pan!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carrot tops, packed rinsed, tough stems discarded
- 1 ½ cups Fresh spinach rinsed, stems discarded
- ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews
- 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1-2 tablespoons water as needed to thin
Instructions
- Remove the tough stems of the greens and spinach and rinse then spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water
- In a food processor, pulse the greens, garlic, cashews and salt, scraping down the sides
- Slowly add the olive oil while the food processor is running, then pulse until it is a smooth consistency. You may need to add some water to create a smooth consistency. Taste and add additional salt, lemon juice or olive oil
