| Carrot Top Chimichurri and Roasted Carrots
I've always loved carrots... straight from the garden or added to a salad or in cake. Today, we roast carrots and use their leafy tops to make a sauce that could be a dressing or a dip with bread and cheese. This salad is inspired by the carrots I bought at my local farmers market. The farmer left the carrot tops on, and I began to wonder what I should do with them. I had made chimichurri before, but with parsley as the main green. If you have doubts about eating the carrot greens, this is the perfect way to start. The sauce is vibrant, spicy, and full of aromatics like garlic, oregano, and shallots. You could use it on top of almost anything, but here I've decided to roast carrots and make a lovely salad. This recipe totally gluten-free and dairy-free. Enjoy!
INSTRUCTIONS
The Simple Steps...
1 pound carrots with leafy tops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoons salt
Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup carrot tops (cleaned and finely chopped)
1/2 cup cilantro (cleaned and finely chopped)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
a dash of black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
omaine lettuce
1. Preheat the oven to 450˚.
2. Scrub the carrots and cut off the tops. Finely chop the tops to make one cup. Place them in a medium bowl or a pint jar.
3. Place the cleaned carrots on a large oven tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and salt. Toss the carrots to coat them in the oil. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once if needed.
4. Meanwhile, add all the other chimichurri ingredients to the jar or bowl and stir.
5. Place the lettuce on a medium platter. Top with the roasted carrots. Spoon the chimichurri sauce over both. You may not use all the sauce, but will definitely want it for other roasted vegetables, salad, or even dipping bread.
QUICK TIP
Do you have some carrot tops leftover? Try one of these ideas.
- Add some directly to a salad with your other greens.
- Use them in a pesto instead of basil.
- Mix them into your next vegetable soup.
- Saute them with collard greens and garlic for a green topping to baked potatoes.
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
Please let me know what you think. I appreciate hearing from you. Do you have a favorite carrot dish to share?
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