If you’ve ever bought bunched carrots and thrown away the leafy green tops, this recipe is for you. Carrot tops are entirely edible, packed with nutrients, and make a wonderfully herbal, slightly bitter pesto that works on pasta, toast, roasted vegetables, and more. It’s one of the simplest zero-waste recipes you can make — and one of the most surprising.

Ingredients

• Tops from 1 bunch of Bunched Carrots or Rainbow Bunched Carrots (roughly 60–80g of leaves, thick stems removed)
• 30g Parmesan or pecorino (or nutritional yeast for a vegan version)
• 30g pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 80–100ml extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Wash the carrot tops thoroughly and shake dry. Remove any very thick, woody stems — just use the finer stems and leaves.
2. Blanch the tops in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and plunge into cold water. This removes some of the bitterness and keeps the colour vivid green. Squeeze out excess water.
3. Add the carrot tops, garlic, nuts, Parmesan, and lemon juice to a food processor. Blitz until roughly chopped.
4. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until you reach your preferred consistency — we like ours a little textured rather than completely smooth.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust lemon juice or oil as needed.

How to Use Carrot Top Pesto

• Pasta: Toss through freshly cooked pasta with a splash of cooking water.
• Toast: Spread on sourdough and top with ricotta and a drizzle of honey.
• Roasted veg: Spoon over roasted carrots, courgettes, or new potatoes.
• Dressing: Thin with a little extra olive oil and use as a salad dressing.
• Pizza base: Use instead of tomato sauce for a seasonal, herbaceous alternative.

Storage

Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it fresh. It also freezes well in ice cube trays — pop out a cube whenever you need it.

A Note on Zero-Waste Cooking

Buying bunched carrots or rainbow bunched carrots means you get the whole plant — and that’s an opportunity, not a problem. Carrot tops contain Vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. They’re too good to compost. This pesto is proof that eating sustainably and eating well are the same thing.