Pea and Carrot Salad with Carrot Top Pesto
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups carrot top greens (can sub 2 cups fresh arugula or baby kale)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (pistachios almonds or pumpkin/sunflower seeds will also work)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan (omit if vegan)
- 1 loaf ciabatta or sourdough french bread torn into bite size pieces (use gluten free bread if needed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- salt + pepper to taste
- 3 carrots cut into ribbons or sliced thin
- 2 cups fresh snap peas
- 2 cups fresh watercress or baby spinach
- handful of fresh parsley or mint (i used a combo of both)
- 8 ounces feta cheese crumbled (omit if vegan)
- Carbohydrate 6.84229098969873 g
- Cholesterol 50.462151118 mg
- Fat 20.6467770407131 g
- Fiber 1.36579997952 g
- Protein 8.64935946516113 g
- Saturated Fat 9.65838994634136 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (120g)
- Sodium 1575.52260559237 mg
- Sugar 5.47649101017873 g
- Trans Fat 0.902922817697972 g
- Calories 244 calories
Step-by-step
- In the bowl of a food processor or high powered blender, combine the carrot top greens, basil and pine nuts.
- Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the machine still running, drizzle in the olive oil.
- Add the parmesan, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Pour into a glass jar and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- On a large baking sheet, toss the torn bread with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper until all the bread is evenly and well coated.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, tossing half way through until the bread is golden and toasted.
- Meanwhile in a large salad bowl, toss together the carrot ribbons, snap peas, watercress or spinach, and fresh herbs.
- Add a couple tablespoons of the pesto sauce and toss once more, making sure to evenly coat the veggies.
- Add the toasted bread and sprinkle on the feta cheese.
- Serve with the remaining carrot top pesto.
Building Texture Through Heat and Oil
Roasting the torn bread at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten to fifteen minutes drives out residual moisture inside the crumb while browning the exterior via the Maillard reaction. Tossing the cubes halfway through ensures uniform contact with the baking sheet, yielding a crunchy crouton capable of absorbing vinaigrette without disintegrating. Simultaneously, processing tender herbs like carrot greens and basil alongside toasted pine nuts creates an emulsion. Drizzling the half-cup of olive oil through the running feed tube of a food processor slowly forces fat droplets to suspend evenly, resulting in a cohesive sauce rather than an oily separation.
Chemical Interaction and Storage Dynamics
Tossing the raw vegetable ribbons and snap peas with a portion of the pesto before adding cheese allows the natural organic acids in the greens and the salt in the sauce to begin breaking down tough cellular walls, tenderizing the produce. Feta cheese introduces lactic acid and salinity that contrast sharply against the sweet, earthy carrots. Stored separately in a sealed glass jar inside the refrigerator, the herbaceous green pesto retains its bright pigmentation for up to three days by limiting oxygen exposure on the chlorophyll.
