Food Waste: 10 Creative Ways You Can Put Carrot Greens To Good Use

Carrot greens have been infamously slandered as posing danger to human health if consumed, and that is very far from the truth. Carrot greens do contain alkaloids, but, so do all vegetables in the nightshade family: eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes!

Carrot tops are perfectly safe to eat and have a taste that is a cross between earthy carrots and fresh parsley, making them a good fit for almost any dish.

Below, we have outlined a few unique ways to enjoy your own carrot greens:

1. Curried Carrot Fritters

Curried carrot fritters are made up of shredded carrots, curry, and carrot tops. Even better, they are baked, making it a healthier substitute for other typically fried fritters.

2. Vegetarian Roasted Vegetable Broth

Chop your carrot tops and throw them in a pot alongside other vegetables. Let the vegetables boil and season based on your personal preferences; this recipe especially allows you to reduce food waste as even the smallest vegetables can come in very handy.

3. Cashew Carrot Top Pesto

Pestos, a blend of carrot greens, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and Parmesan cheese, are a genius goto when you want to find a good use for your carrot tops. This cheesy cashew carrot top version from Abra’s Kitchen is a delicious topping for perfectly roasted carrots.

4. Garden Veggie Burgers

Try out a healthy vegetable burger made up of carrot greens, dill, and parsley. Not only is this combination nutritious, it is also very filling.

5. Carrot Green Chimichurri

Carrot greens are combined with garlic, herbs and vinegar to make a tasty chimichurri dip for your meals.

6. Roasted Baby Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto

Roast a batch of baby carrots and enjoy them with this zesty carrot top pesto recipe from Delicious Everyday.

7. Carrot Top Pesto with Vegetable Noodles

Carrot greens are blended with walnuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, basil, and vegan Parmesan cheese, finished with a squeeze of lemon and then tossed together with sweet potato, carrot, and zucchini noodles.

8. Carrot Top Tabouli Salad

Bulgur wheat is cooked and then combined with carrot greens, cucumbers, fresh tomatoes and scallion, lots of parsley, and mint. For a zesty finish, dress the dish with a dash of olive oil and lemon juice to add a zesty .

9. Garlicky (Lahsuni) Moong-Masoor Daal with Carrot Greens

This garlicky daal from Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey is packed with healthy carrot greens.

10. Sautéed Carrot Greens

This recipe is very easy to do and only requires a few minutes of cooking. A savory mix of olive oil, garlic and red pepper makes the meal especially addictive and the perfect side dish for every meal!

Now you have ten recipes for inspiration on how to put your carrot tops to good use! Which is your favorite?