14 Aug Carrot and Carrot Top Pesto Soup

I already have my carrot top soup on the blog, but this season we have gotten a lot of carrots with tops, and Ryan wanted to find a new way to use them all. He is an amazing chef, and he just whipped this up out of his head. It is sooo yummy! It is the only way that our 20 month old Emalyn will eat carrots, in any form. I asked him to write down his recipe so that everyone else can enjoy it too!

Ryan’s homemade, made up, carrot top soup!

Get the most out of great fresh carrots by making pesto out of their tops.

Total time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 pounds carrots with tops on
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups chicken broth
1 garlic clove
1/4 – 1/2 cup basil
1 tablespoon chopped toasted walnuts

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
2. Remove carrot tops from carrots, chop the tops roughly, and set aside. Roughly chop carrots and add to pot. Add the brown sugar, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover (leave lid slightly ajar), and cook until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mince garlic in a food processor, scraping down sides of container as needed. Add 3/4 cup carrot tops, the basil, the walnuts, remaining 2 1/2 tbsp. oil, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and whirl until blended.
4. Purée carrot-broth mixture in a blender, working in batches, until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch. Ladle into bowls and swirl in carrot top pesto.