Carrot Top Pesto
This recipe is super versatile. You could make it just like a pesto and sub carrot tops for basil. I played around with it a bit because I’m using it as a dressing for bowls I’m making ahead for meal prep.
INGREDIENTS
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Carrot tops, blanched
1 or 2 green onions
1/4 cup quark
1/4 cup olive oil
Other Ingredients
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup mint
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Blanch carrot tops in boiling water for a few minutes and immediately cool in a large bowl of ice water. Pat dry with clean dish towels.
Add ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blend till smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
You can use pine nuts instead of walnuts, but they are super pricey so this frugal Italian mostly uses walnuts in pesto.
Cashews, pepitas, or sunflower seeds are also delicious. I added the quark to make my pesto creamy, but of course grated Parmesan is perfect here as well.
I will build my bowl by starting with some cooked farro, adding chopped carrots, squash, cucumbers, and lettuce. I’ll do baked chicken or tofu for protein, and some pepitas for crunch.
