Carrot Top Salad Dressing

This delicious carrot top dressing is an easy way to use carrot tops or carrot greens, which are full of nutrients and shouldn’t be discarded.

Use it as a salad dressing, green sauce for meat, roasted vegetables, or even as a pizza sauce. You only need four ingredients to make this nutritious carrot top dressing.

I love buying carrots with their greens attached. I mostly do this if they are organic or come from sources that I trust. some farmers can’t afford organic certification, so make sure you ask them if the greens are sprayed with pesticides.

Either way, wash them thoroughly, as they can accumulate a lot of dirt.

To prepare them, pick only the tender, bright and vibrant greens, and remove the thick stems.

Are carrot tops edible?

Carrot tops, also known as carrot greens, are not only edible but also very nutritious. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

They are especially rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, and calcium.

Carrot tops contain various phytonutrients, including flavonoids and carotenoids, which have antioxidant properties.

Carrot greens have an earthy, sweet flavor with grassy notes. While most say they have a bitter taste, I disagree. Try and let me know.

Here are a few ways you can use carrot tops:

1. Creamy dressing or sauce: Blend the carrot tops with olive oil, garlic, lemon and season with salt and pepper. Use to season salads, roasted vegetables, millet, or as a pizza sauce.
2. Pesto: To the dressing above, add Parmigiano Reggiano and toasted pine nuts to make a flavorful pesto. This can be used as a pasta sauce, spread, or dip.
3. Salad greens: Chop carrot tops and add them to your salad for an extra layer of freshness and flavor.
4. Soups and stews: Use carrot tops as a garnish, or chop them up and add them to your soups or stews for added nutrients.
5. Juice or smoothies: Carrot tops can be added to smoothies and other fruits and vegetables for a nutrient boost. When I have them, I add them to my Green Smoothie.

Ingredients to make a simple carrot top dressing

• 2 packed cups of carrot tops (only tender leaves, thick stems removed), washed and dried
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 small garlic clove
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: zest of one organic lemon

How to make carrot top dressing

Wash and trim the tops, discarding some of the thick stems and making sure everything you use is vibrant and fresh, not wilted or yellow.

Add them to a blender (the NutriBullet works perfectly for this size), add the garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and water, and lemon zest if using.

Blend until creamy, then season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if necessary.

Once blended, taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Store in a glass container for up to three days and use for salads, as a dip or to drizzle on top of your meals. You can also use it as a green sauce for pizza.

How to use this carrot green sauce or dressing

This is a green, creamy sauce, that will work well with Buddha bowls type of salads. I love it with a salad made of millet and vegetables.

I love to use it as a pesto, for roasting vegetables, like cauliflower steaks.

And it’s perfect as a green pizza sauce.

I hope you love this carrot top dressing!

More green sauces and dressings

This carrot top salad dressing recipe is part of our 10 green sauce recipes for healthy and tasty meals round-up. Check it out for more delicious and healthy green sauce ideas.

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