Carrot Tops! Who ever heard of eating those?! “Isn’t that the part we throw away?” you ask-
I was really skeptical, too, when I heard about making an Italian pesto out of them. This crazy recipe was invented and shared by an East Indian acquaintance. I had to guess at the proportions, but it was wonderfully delicious and bright green that I had to try making it myself!
The first attempt was great! I had to share it with you! It’s an easy way to get greens that aren’t kale (shudder!).
it was wonderfully delicious and bright green
This version has less water and oil in it, and no cilantro.
Chili Lime Carrot Top Pesto Recipe:
Put into a food processor or other high-powered juicer/blender, and mix until smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides with a spatula and pulse it. Don’t blend too long, or it will get hot form the motor. (That may have caused the color change, as I kept blending it and adding more lime.)
- 1.5-2 Limes (more if necessary to get a balanced sour flavor)
- 2/3 cup Sunflower Seeds, roasted & salted
- About 1.5-2.25 cups/ 2″ squished down in blender – Carrot Tops (thickest stems removed)
- 3/4 Serrano Chili – stem cut off and seeds removed (Could substitute jalapeño)
- 1.5 large garlic clove– chopped
- 1/3 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 dry measure cup (like a flour mixing cup) – Olive Oil (cold pressed preferred)
- 1/4 cup Water (liquid measuring cup)
That’s it! I hope you like it as much as I do!
**This recipe is safe for the Paleo diet, GAPS diet, and SCD diet, as long as you don’t have trouble with chilies (a nightshade family ingredient) nor seeds. It is a nut-free pesto!
This pesto version has more water and oil in it.
I added a small handful of cilantro in my first try, but that may have been a mistake. It tasted good, but turned an unappealing grey-brown quite quickly even with lime in it. I would suggest blending it with the lime in it at first, to stop any color changes. I made it the first time with avocado oil, but I think olive would be better. 2nd making – I liked it better with olive oil. It’s definitely better without cilantro.
I made it in a food processor and the texture was fairly smooth. I would suggest blending it in a blender next to get it to a “creamy” state. You could probably also use a Magic Bullet or other super-powered blender or juicer. I don’t think you could use a regular blender very easily at first, because the carrot tops are fluffy, and won’t touch the blade. There just isn’t enough liquid.