Carrot Top Salsa Verde makes a great accompaniment to fish, seafood, vegetables and grilled meat. It's one of the best carrot top recipes and the perfect way to use carrot tops for total no-waste cooking!
Welcome to another post in my Waste Not feature!
As I mentioned in previous Waste Not posts, I watched the late Anthony Bourdain’s movie, Wasted, on a plane ride back from Europe last year. My eyes were opened as to how much food we waste as a nation and frankly, it made me pretty uncomfortable.
I decided to be more conscious about food waste and am trying to look at vegetable trimmings, clippings and remnants in new ways. As a result, I began this new feature intended to deal with food waste in a creative and non-preachy way.
After making my friend Karen's amazing Spiced Roasted Carrots with Pistachios and Labneh from her new cookbook Family Style, I had these beautiful, fresh carrot tops that I did not want to go to waste. I considered pesto but wanted to try something different like this Carrot Top Salsa Verde.
What is Salsa Verde?
Not to be confused with the Mexican salsa verde which is made with tomatillos, this salsa verde is the Italian version. Italian salsa verde varies by region, however, it's best compared to an Argentinian chimichurri because of its vinegary edge.
Traditionally, Italian salsa verde is done by hand which creates a thick, rustic sauce. Thankfully food processors have come along which makes easy work of this delicious sauce.
How to make Carrot Top Salsa Verde:
- Start with a bunch of super fresh carrot tops.
- Wash them WELL as they can be very sandy. I fill a sink with water and immerse the tops. Swish them around so the dirt falls to the bottom. Wash the tops until there's no dirt at the bottom of the sink.
- Dry them off well in a salad spinner or blot dry with paper towels.
- Gather up the rest of the ingredients:
- Italian parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Anchovy paste
- White wine vinegar
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Combine everything in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If you leave it slightly coarse, it will resemble the traditional Italian salsa verde more.
That's it! I think you're really going to love this Carrot Top Salsa Verde!
More Waste Not recipes:
- Purslane Chimichurri
- Cream of Celery Leaf and Scallion Soup
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai Green Curry Butter
- Whole-Grain Croutons with Thyme, Rosemary and Parmesan
- Radish Greens Pesto
Carrot Top Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green carrot tops - including stems
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4 cloves garlic - chopped
- ½ large lemon - juiced
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil - or as needed
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 heaping teaspoon anchovy paste
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt - to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Add additional olive oil as needed to achieve a smooth, saucy texture or leave slightly coarse for a more traditional style.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
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