Carrot Top Pesto

Season

Summer

Dietary

Vegan

Recipe by Annabelle Randles
Packed with flavour, this vegan carrot top pesto is the perfect topping for pasta, rice, pizza, salads and even eggs.
Blended with basil, a hint of mint, lemon juice, almonds and olive oil; the leafy green carrot tops which often go to waste make a really tasty sauce.
There is no need to cook the carrot tops beforehand. Instead, you can simply blitz the raw ingredients in a food processor until you get your desired consistency. I prefer mixing the olive oil afterwards to avoid any bitter aftertaste.
Instead of pinenuts (they have become so expensive!), I have used almonds which can easily be swapped for cashews. For maximum flavour, make sure you use some high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

leafy green carrot tops from 1 bunch of carrots
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
28g basil [1oz]
10g mint leaves [0.4 oz]

From the cupboard

75g unsalted almonds [2.6 oz]
125ml extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
pepper

Instructions

Roughly chop carrot tops, basil and mint. Place in food processor with crushed garlic and almonds. Blitz together until the mixture has a fine texture.
Transfer to a bowl. Mix in olive oil, salt and lemon juice. Season with some freshly ground pepper. Transfer to airtight jars. Keep refrigerated when not using.