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If you grow carrots, you already know the dilemma: beautiful, bushy carrot tops that feel too good to throw away. Good news — you don’t have to. Carrot tops are completely edible, and this recipe for Creamed Kale and Carrot Tops is one of the most delicious ways to use them. Fresh garden greens and herbs in a rich parmesan cream sauce, ready in under twenty minutes.

Don’t Toss Those Carrot Tops! Here’s What to Do With Them

The kale has been coming on hard and fast in my garden. Almost faster than we can eat it sometimes!

I’ve been tossing fresh kale into our dinnertime salads for weeks now. We also like it simply sauted with garlic, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil. However, creamed kale is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this wonderful garden green.

Recently, I came up with tasty and somewhat surprising twist on my usual preparation that I’m excited to share with you! Here’s how it happened…

A couple of weeks ago, I was harvesting kale and doing some general garden maintenance, which included thinning my carrots. It had to be done; carrots won’t grow properly if they’re too crowded. But, oh how I hated throwing away all those big, leafy carrot tops!

Suddenly it occurred to me that maybe I didn’t have to. Because green carrot tops are…well, just greens, right? And wouldn’t greens taste good when combined with other greens?

The answer is yes! Especially when you serve them in a decadent, creamy sauce.

Can You Eat Carrot Tops? What Do Carrot Tops Taste Like?

Yes, really!

Some of you probably have doubts, but believe me, carrot tops can be delicious! And they’re much too tasty to just toss into the trash. Especially after you went to all the trouble of growing them!

Carrot greens have an herby flavor that’s a little bit like celery. The feathery leaves on can be added to salads or made into pesto. They’re also good sprinkled onto dishes for a garnish, like you would with parsley.

Herby, slightly bitter taste of carrot tops are a beautiful counterpoint to the richness of the creamy cheese sauce. But they’re just one part of what makes this dish so good.

Let’s talk about the other ingredients!

What You Need to Make This Creamed Kale and Carrot Tops Recipe

Shallot – You could substitute yellow onion, but I do like the milder flavor of shallots for this dish.
Garlic – You’ll want about a tablespoon of minced fresh garlic.
Olive oil – You could also use grapeseed, avocado, canola, or any neutral-flavored oil
with a high smoke point.
Kale – Any type of kale will work in this dish. It would also be good with chard. And since
you’re cooking it, feel free to use the more mature leaves that aren’t quite as good in salads. Strip the leaves from the stems and chop them roughly. If you like, you can freeze the stems to use later for making vegetable stock, kale stem pesto, or in a stir fry. (Just note that they need to be sliced fairly thin for pesto or stir fry.)
Carrot tops – Use all the feathery leaves but discard any thick stems.
Basil – You don’t absolutely have to include it, but little fresh basil adds a lovely, slightly grassy note to the dish.
Parmesan Cheese –Parmigiano Reggiano is the best choice for this dish. Yes, it can be a
little pricey, but the robust flavor is worth it. In a pinch, you could also use regular real Parmesan or Romano.
Half and Half – Even though this is Creamed Kale and Carrot Tops, I chose to use half and half for my recipe. The result gives me plenty of richness, but cuts down on the calories and fat a little and lets the flavor of the greens, herbs, and garlic come through. If you want to use heavy cream, you can do so. But you might want to add it a little at a time, tasting between additions. Because it really is possible for a dish to be too rich and creamy, so much so that it overpowers the flavor of the greens.
Kosher Salt– Kosher salt is my go-to seasoning. If you decide to use regular table salt, reduce it by half and taste to see if you think you want more.
Fresh ground pepper – The difference in flavor makes grinding the pepper worth it.

How to Make Creamed Kale and Carrot Tops

This is a super easy dish that can be made on the stove in just fifteen to twenty minutes.

You’ll start by cooking the shallots in the olive oil over medium high heat. Once they’re are soft and translucent, you’ll reduce the heat slightly. Then you’ll add the minced garlic and cook for a minute or two, just until it’s fragrant.

Next, you’ll add the kale, carrot tops, and basil. Cook them until they the leaves are completely wilted.

The for the next part, you’ll want to reduce the heat to medium low. That way, it can give the cheese time to melt without cooking off too much liquid.

Stir in the half and half and then add the cheese. Stir everything constantly, until the cheese is melted. Finally, stir in the salt and pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.