Vegan Carrot Top Pesto

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Carrot Top Pesto

Don't toss away your carrot greens, use them to make this delicious Vegan Carrot Top Pesto! This zero-waste recipe is easy to make, taking less than 10 minutes and only 9 ingredients. Perfect for tossing with pasta, use as a dip, tossing with roasted veggies, or spreading onto crusty bread.
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Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Meal Type: Dinner, Dressings & Sauces
Special: 10 Ingredients or Less, 30 Minutes or Less, Freezer-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Oil-Free, Seasonal (Cold Weather), Soy-Free
Tool: Blender, Food Processor
Ingredient: Carrots, walnuts
Servings: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup(s) carrot top greens from about 4 - 6 carrots washed, see step 1
  • 1 cup(s) fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup(s) walnuts see notes for substitutes
  • 1/4 cup(s) nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup(s) olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
  • 2 clove(s) garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon(s) black pepper
  • Optional for carrot top pesto: pasta, crusty bread, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, vegan seitan steak, or tofu, to serve the pesto with.
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  • Prep your carrot tops. Use the carrot leaves and top part of the stems. Discard the remaining stems which may be too tough. Wash the carrot tops well as they are sometimes quite sandy, and discard any brown bits. I used 1 cup packed of carrot top greens, but a little more or a little less will not make much of a difference.
  • To a food processor or blender, add the carrot tops, basil leaves, walnuts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. If your pesto is a bit too thick, add a splash of water or more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Use the pesto right away or store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or you can freeze it.
  • Ways to use carrot top pesto: toss carrot top pesto with hot pasta, spread it on crusty bread or in a sandwich, toss it with roasted veggies, dollop it onto soups or stews, stir it into mashed potatoes, serve it with vegan seitan steak, or dip tofu bites into it.
Notes
Walnut substitutes: if needed, sub the walnuts for equal amounts pine nuts, blanched almonds, pecans, or cashews.
Oil-free: to make the pesto oil-free, sub the olive oil for water, aquafaba, or vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 8 servings) | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
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