This pesto potato salad will put a spring in your step.
Every pun intended!
Guys, this embarrassingly easy potato salad has to make an appearance in your kitchen soon. You can throw it together quickly and it tastes DELICIOUS.
All because… we’re using carrot tops!
Remember on Monday when I told you not to throw away the carrot tops? Well, here we are. Now if you’re able to get your hands on some whole carrots in the next few days, you have two recipes to use the entire carrot up with no waste!
My mind is blown when I think back to a time when I didn’t necessarily love pesto. I’ve done a complete 180 and now I can’t live without it.
Carrot tops can be a little a bitter, a little earthy and even a little sweet. I like to use them in pesto alongside another green leaf like basil or arugula, but if you only have spinach, that would work too. Use up what you have right now!
What I love most about this salad? It’s incredible simple.
I mean, super simple. Truly, it’s just the potatoes tossed in the pesto!
I threw a few arugula microgreens in there for a little something extra. It’s not necessary, though if you have other loose greens you want to use up, add them. If you want, you can toss in goat cheese or feta. You could add soft or hard boiled eggs. Even bacon!
But oddly enough, I just LOVE how easy this is. Boil the potatoes. Make the pesto. Toss everything together.
Eat and be happy!
This makes for a wonderful side dish. I would also totally eat it for dinner, maybe with aforementioned egg thrown on top.
Oh oh and another thing! You can basically prep the entire thing ahead of time. Boil the potatoes and store in the fridge until you’re ready to use. Make the pesto whenever you have time, either freeze it or store in the fridge.
That means that what was once a 30 minute recipe can come together in about 10 minutes or less!
It’s delicious served warm or cold – you do you.
Soft potato with zesty pesto in every bite… I’m in.
Carrot Top Pesto Potato Salad
Yield: 4 to 6 people
This pesto potato salad is made with carrot top pesto for the perfect spring side dish! Baby potatoes, pesto and greens make up this delish bowl.
- 3 pounds baby yukon gold potatoes, or any baby potatoes!
- 1 cups carrot top greens, rinsed and patted dry
- ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
Place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and toss with the pesto. Toss in a handful of microgreens or arugula greens. You can serve this warm or cold!
While the potatoes boil, place the carrot tops, basil leaves, cheese, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper and pepper flakes in the bowl of your food processor and pulse and blend until small pieces remain. Stream in the oil with the processor running until the mixture is combined and smooth. Taste the pesto and season with additional salt and pepper if you’d like.
Spoon the pesto over the potatoes, tossing well and using as much as you’d like. I start with about ¼ cup and go from there. You can store the extra pesto in a sealed container in the fridge for a week and you can freeze it for up to 3 months!
Hmmm definitely want to eat this for breakast.
