Beet Salad with Carrot Top Pesto

For the longest time, I was not a beet fan. They had a bizarre texture, I thought they tasted a bit too…earthy…and I just preferred other vegetables. But that all changed one day when I had a french roasted beet salad doused in a yummy vinaigrette. Now every so often I get intense cravings for a good old beet salad. And low and behold, when I got some beautiful golden beets in my Imperfect Produce box recently, I knew exactly what I was going to do. Classic by no means, this Beet Salad with Carrot Top Pesto is succulent and hard to stop eating.

This carrot top pesto is a twist on a classic basil pesto. The carrot tops are so zingy and flavorful and pair with the lemon juice beautifully. It’s a fun way to add a unique zest to your dressing, and it’s a great way to use up oddball parts of veggies that may otherwise go unused. Between the beets, herbs and carrot tops, this side dish is fresh and light but jam packed with flavor. Great to serve alongside or before any meal.

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Beet Salad with Carrot Top Pesto

This refreshing beet salad is dressed in an earthy and flavorful pesto made from carrot tops.

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Beets

• 2 lbs Beets
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Salt

Carrot Top Pesto

• 1 1/2 Cups Carrot tops (about one bunch)
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 3 Fresh basil leaves, large
• 2 Tbsp. Pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Black pepper
• 1 tsp. Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap whole beets in packets of foil and place on baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour.
• Carefully remove from oven and peel skin off. Cut into cubes and place in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine all the the pesto ingredients. Mix so that it becomes a fine consistency, a bit looser than a paste.
• Once beets are cooled, add in desired amount of pesto and stir to combine. Serve cold.