Roasted Veggies with Zesty Carrot Top Pesto: A Healthy & Sustainable Summer Side Dish

Embrace the vibrant flavors of summer with this incredibly satisfying and nutritious side dish or main salad. Featuring a delightful combination of perfectly roasted vegetables and crisp raw greens, all brought together with a bright, herbaceous carrot top pesto, this recipe is a testament to delicious, waste-free cooking.

Summer is truly here, and with it comes a natural inclination towards lighter, fresher, and simpler meals. Long, sunny days call for more time spent outdoors and less time fussing in the kitchen. My approach to summer cooking often swings between perfecting a few beloved staples (hello, guacamole daily!) and exploring new, exciting seasonal ingredients. This recipe perfectly marries both desires: it’s simple enough for any weeknight, yet uniquely flavorful and deeply satisfying.

My culinary inspiration frequently springs from my local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share. There’s an unparalleled joy in cooking with fresh, organic, and locally sourced produce. Right now, gorgeous carrots, still boasting their lush green tops, and delicate garlic scapes are taking center stage. The sight of those vibrant carrot greens instantly sparked an idea: Carrot Top Pesto! It’s an ingenious way to utilize every part of the vegetable, ensuring nothing goes to waste while unlocking an incredible depth of flavor. This pesto has quickly become a favorite and pairs beautifully with these roasted root vegetables, transforming them into an extraordinary meal.

Carrot Top Pesto: The Secret Ingredient You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’ve ever cooked with me or attended one of my workshops, you’ll know my strong aversion to food waste. While composting is a great option for truly unusable scraps, I’m always on the lookout for ways to incorporate edible parts of vegetables into my meals. It’s a shame to discard valuable nutrition and flavor! Carrot greens are a prime example of this often-overlooked treasure.

Beyond the Root: The Incredible Benefits of Carrot Greens

Did you know that carrot greens are not only edible but also packed with nutrients? These leafy tops contain significant amounts of essential vitamins like A and C, along with vital minerals such as calcium and iron. They are also a good source of fiber, vitamin K, and powerful antioxidants. One remarkable benefit is their richness in chlorophyll, which is known for its potential to inhibit the growth and formation of tumors. When you combine these greens with a healthy fat like avocado, as we do in this pesto, the fat-soluble vitamins become even more absorbable by your body. Incorporating carrot top pesto into your diet can offer a multitude of health advantages, including boosting immunity, supporting bone density, enhancing eye health, regulating blood pressure, aiding digestion and detoxification, promoting kidney function, and improving circulation, among many others. It’s a true superfood hidden in plain sight!

Garlic Scapes: A Seasonal Delicacy

Have you ever encountered garlic scapes? These delightful, curly green stalks are the flowering shoots that emerge from the ground while the garlic bulb is still developing. You can typically find them at farmers’ markets or even in specialty sections of your local grocer during early summer. They are considered a seasonal delicacy due to their limited availability and unique flavor profile.

Garlic scapes boast an impressive nutritional profile, high in fiber and offering good amounts of Vitamin C and A, alongside potent antioxidants. Their health benefits are equally compelling, including protection against osteoarthritis, anti-cancer properties, assistance in blood re-oxygenation, and support for liver and kidney health. What makes them particularly appealing in this pesto is their milder, fresher garlic flavor compared to mature garlic cloves, making them perfect for raw consumption without overwhelming the palate. If fresh scapes are unavailable, you can substitute with garlic cloves, but remember to use about half the amount to prevent the garlic flavor from dominating the pesto.

The Versatility of Carrot Top Pesto

Once you’ve made a batch of this vibrant carrot top pesto, you’ll discover its incredible versatility. It’s an excellent addition to a myriad of dishes, lending a fresh, herbaceous kick wherever it goes. I particularly enjoy using it to create a creamy, herbaceous potato salad, or simply drizzled over ripe summer tomatoes for a burst of flavor. It also transforms everyday hummus into an extraordinary dip, perfect for serving with crudités or spreading generously on crackers. For a quick and easy meal, toss it with chickpeas for a protein-packed salad, or use it as a light, flavorful sauce for spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash. Its bright notes also make it a fantastic spread for sandwiches or wraps, and it can elevate any grain bowl with its unique taste.

Roasted Veggies + Carrot Top Pesto: The Perfect Pairing

This recipe might boast complex flavors and textures, but its preparation is wonderfully straightforward. You can effortlessly whip up the pesto while your vegetables are roasting, or prepare the pesto in advance for an even quicker meal. Having a batch of this carrot top pesto (or even a different one like arugula pesto) ready in your fridge provides endless possibilities. Feel free to substitute any roasted or raw vegetables to create your own unique summer salad masterpiece.

Last week’s CSA box inspired this particular medley, featuring beautiful carrots, crisp radishes, flavorful garlic scapes, and sweet sugar snap peas. However, I strongly encourage you to experiment with your favorite seasonal produce. Consider adding bell peppers, zucchini, asparagus, or even sweet potatoes to the roasted mix, or incorporating other fresh greens like spinach or mixed lettuces. The beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability, allowing you to create a personalized, healthy dish every time. Don’t forget to share your creations in the comments below!

📖 Recipe: Roasted Veggies + Carrot Top Pesto

Roasted Veggies + Carrot Top Pesto

Author: Debra Klein

This vibrant carrot top pesto elevates roasted and raw vegetables into a truly delicious and healthy side dish or full salad, perfect for any summer occasion.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Cuisine: American
• Servings: 6 servings
• Calories: 225 kcal

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Ingredients

Carrot Top Pesto

• 6 large Basil leaves
• 1 bunch Carrot Tops (approx. 2 cups)
• 4 Garlic Scapes (roughly chopped)
• ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
• 1 small avocado + 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon Hemp seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Sunflower Seeds
• 2-3 Tablespoons water

Roasted Veggies

• 2 bunches carrots (sliced in half lengthwise if thick)
• 1 bunch radishes (sliced in half lengthwise)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Remaining Ingredients

• 2 cups baby greens (optional, I used baby kale)
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Pesto

1. Place hemp seeds and sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes.
2. Place all pesto ingredients, including toasted seeds, except water, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well combined and a coarse paste forms. Gradually add water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

Roast Veggies

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
2. Arrange the carrots and radishes in a single layer on the prepared pan, ensuring they are not overcrowded for even roasting.
3. Drizzle the vegetables evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin and coarse sea salt. Toss gently to coat.
4. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the thickest carrots are tender when pierced with a fork and slightly caramelized.
5. While veggies are roasting, prepare your greens. If using, toss baby greens with 1 Tablespoon of pesto, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Arrange the dressed greens on a serving platter.
6. Trim the sugar snap peas. Once roasted, cut the larger roasted vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Toss the roasted veggies and sugar snap peas with additional pesto, lemon juice, and olive oil to taste.
7. Spoon the pesto-coated roasted and raw veggies on top of the dressed greens. Serve immediately.
8. Leftover roasted veggies and pesto will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, dressed greens will become soggy, so it’s best to dress them just before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

• Calories: 225 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 19g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g
• Sodium: 455mg
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 4g

Note: The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.

Did you make this recipe?

We’d love to see your creations! Please leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag me @dkhealthcoach or use hashtag #dkhealthcoach on Instagram so I can share your delicious dish!