Name: Turnip Greens Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups turnip greens (washed and loosely chopped); 1 cup fresh basil; 6 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup walnuts; 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated or shredded); 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more if needed)

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This turnip greens pesto recipe is garlicky and spicy, easy to make, and is a great no-cook pasta sauce for summer nights. A turnip greens recipe that is tasty and simple!

If you are wondering what to do with the tops of the turnips that you got from a veggie or local CSA box then look no further!

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Table of Contents

Pesto is a perfect turnip greens recipe to make with the tops of your turnip roots. We grew a huge crop of turnips in one of our garden beds this year, and got amazing fresh leafy greens from them as well.

The raw garlic in the pesto compliments the slightly spicy turnip greens, and combines to make a fantastic, simple, and quick summer sauce. No cooking required and ready in 5 minutes. Its great over pasta, as a dip, or drizzled over pizza for that extra kick.

This Turnip Green Pesto Is:

Packed with flavor!
Bright
Bold
Slightly spicy
Fresh
Flavorful

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Make Pesto with Turnip Greens

Pesto is one of those staple sauces that we enjoy all year round! In the summer our garden yields tons of turnip greens to use in pesto, but you can use any green you have on hand. I like spinach, kale, beet greens, etc.

We love pesto stirred into pasta. I also love to add a heaping scoop of pesto into my Pesto Risotto or use it as a main ingredient in my Soup Au Pistou! Of all the fresh greens we’ve made in pesto, I gotta say that mustard greens rank at the top.

Whats In This Turnip Green Pesto?

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Fresh Turnip Greens: when our turnips are ready to harvest, I save the tops, wash the greens, and love cooking with them. This no waste recipe is a great way to eat turnip greens!
Basil: Traditional in Italian pesto, the fresh basil adds a kick and complexity that pairs really well with the mustard greens.
Garlic
Parmesan Cheese – you can use a regular, vegetarian, or plant-based version depending on your dietary needs.
Walnuts: because YUM in this pesto.
Olive Oil: I like to use this delicious olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry.
Salt & Pepper

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A No-Cook Turnip Tops Recipe That’s Perfect for Summer

This no-cook turnip green pesto is a quick and simple recipe. I love a good no-cook recipe for those days when I’m not feeling like standing around the stove, or for summer nights when it’s too hot to cook.

I have a whole collection of recipes that require zero cooking at all, check them out here! This turnip pesto comes together in about 10 minutes, and doesn’t require the stove or microwave to make. Just some fresh greens, a few pantry staple ingredients and you have a healthy meal ready in no time. And very little to clean up afterwards… an added bonus!

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How Do I Make This Pesto with Turnip Greens?

In a food processor add the turnip greens, basil, garlic, almonds, and salt.
Pulse a few times, then turn the food processor on low and steam in the olive oil. Stop, and check the consistency, adding more olive oil if needed.
Toss with fresh pasta, use pesto as a sauce on homemade pizza, or enjoy pesto as a dip for vegetables or bread

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Can I Eat Turnip Greens?

Absolutely! While there are tons of ways to cook turnip greens, this pesto has been our favorite method by far! This greens recipe really compliments the fresh, bold, spicy flavor of the leaves. For a little extra spice, a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes would be an ideal addition to this sauce.

To make this turnip pesto you can use either the blender or the food processor. I used the food processor, but either appliance will give you an awesome texture and flavor. Use less olive oil for a chunkier sauce, and more for a thinner sauce.

Dietary Modifications

So, this pesto is vegetarian if you use a vegetarian parmesan cheese that does not contain rennet! Traditionally pesto recipes use cheese, which you can to leave out of this for a dairy free & vegan version.

But if you aren’t vegan or dairy-free then I would recommended adding a big scoop of freshly grated parmesan in the sauce or to top your pasta before serving.

A Few Ways to Enjoy Pesto

OK, so you made the pesto… now what to do with it?

Toss with cooked pasta for a delicious dinner
Add to Garlic Lovers Garlic Bread
Use pesto as a pizza sauce, or top your pizza with a drizzle
Mix a scoop into risotto for a delicious pesto risotto
Make pesto soup, which combines fresh vegetables, beans, noodles, and pesto in the broth

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Get the Same Ingredients I Use For My Turnip Greens Pesto Recipe!

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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

Turnip Greens Pesto

By Kelly Jensen

This turnip green pesto is garlicky and spicy, simple to make, and is a great no cook pasta sauce for summer nights. Great way to use turnip tops from your garden.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin For Later

Prep Time 5

Blend Time 5

Total Time 10

Course Dinner, Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 351 kcal

Equipment

▢
Blender or Food Processor

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups turnip greens washed and loosely chopped
▢ 1 cup fresh basil
▢ 6 cloves garlic
▢ 1/2 cup walnuts
▢ 1 cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
▢ 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more if needed

Instructions

In a food processor add the turnip greens, basil, garlic, walnuts, parmesan cheese, and salt. Pulse a few times, then turn the food processor on low and steam in the olive oil. Stop, and check the consistency, adding more olive oil if needed.
Toss with fresh pasta, use pesto as a sauce on homemade pizza, or enjoy pesto as a dip for vegetables or bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 3gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gSodium: 304mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 3506IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

This is one no waste turnip recipes you’ll love!

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4 Comments

Heidi says:

November 6, 2021 at 10:19 am

There’s no way that calorie count is even close to accurate if this serves four.

1. The Herbeevore says:
  
  November 6, 2021 at 8:27 pm
  
  Hello Heidi – I think you’re right… my recipe plug-in automatically assigns nutrition information, and I just edited it so the count should be correct now! Again, it does depend on the exact ingredients you use, but it should be roughly 350 calories for 1/4 of the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!

5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Turnip Greens Pesto Recipe