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Carrot-top pesto

Name: Carrot-top pesto
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 400 g
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 50 g whole almonds; 200 g turnip (or other vegetable) tops; 1 lemon; 3 g vitamin C; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 50 g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano); Olive oil; Salt; Pepper

You will no doubt be familiar with classic pesto. Here is an alternative, zero-waste version using carrot tops for a surprising pesto, full of fresh flavour.

63 K 5/5 (1 reviews)598692

Duration

20 min.

Difficulty

Easy

Last modified on: November 1^st 2026

Step by step recipe Ingredients Duration Nutritional facts Cost Comments Support the site ❤️

For 400 g, you will need:

1 50 g whole almonds
2 200 g turnip (or other vegetable) tops
3 1 lemon
4 3 g vitamin C (optional)
5 3 tablespoons olive oil
6 50 g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
7 Olive oil
8 Salt
9 Pepper
Total weight: 475 grams

Times for this recipe

Preparation

15 min.

Cooking

5 min.

All in all

20 min.

Preparation 15 min.

Cooking 5 min.

When should you start or finish this recipe?

If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time

To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - ⌛ 5 min.

Put 50 g whole almonds into a small frying pan on medium heat. Toast until just lightly coloured (stir round frequently).

Leave to cool then chop coarsely.

Stage 2

Save 200 g turnip (or other vegetable) tops (carrot tops here). The weight is simply for guidance, so let's just say the tops from a normal bunch of carrots.

Stage 3 - ⌛ 5 min.

Wash the leaves, cut off the stalks , then drain and dry them in a tea towel or salad spinner.

Stage 4 - ⌛ 2 min.

Put the leaves in a high-sided container.

Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 3 g vitamin C and 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Stage 5 - ⌛ 2 min.

Blend a first time.

Stage 6 - ⌛ 2 min.

Add 50 g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), the almonds, salt and pepper, then blend again.

Add a little more olive oil while still blending (have someone to help if possible), until the mixture is smooth.

Stage 7

Your carrot-top pesto is ready.

Remarks

You can make different version of this recipe with whatever vegetable tops you have to hand (e.g. radish or turnip), or different nuts (e.g. hazelnuts). Let your imagination lead you.

Keeping: A few days in the fridge in a sealed bottle.

Source: Based on a recipe by chef Angèle Ferreux-Maeght.

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Nutritional information

	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats	Calories	Energy
Per 100 g	6 g RDI=10 %	4 g RDI=2 %	17 g RDI=23 %	198 kcal RDI=10 %	832 kJ RDI=10 %
Whole recipe	31 g RDI=48 %	21 g RDI=8 %	80 g RDI=111 %	937 kcal RDI=47 %	3,923 kJ RDI=47 %