Yes it’s a FACT– broadly speaking, turnip greens are more nutrient-dense than the turnip root itself.
Turnip greens are particularly rich in:
- Vitamin K – exceptionally high, important for bone health and blood clotting.
- Vitamin A (from beta-carotene) – supports eyesight and immunity.
- Vitamin C – helps immune function and collagen production.
- Folate – important for cell growth and repair.
- Calcium – surprisingly good levels for a leafy green.
- Antioxidants and plant compounds such as glucosinolates, which are being studied for their potential protective effects against certain diseases.
The turnip root itself is still very healthy—low in calories, a good source of fibre and vitamin C—but it doesn’t quite match the leaves for overall nutrient density.
Your pesto sounds delicious and genuinely nutritious:
🥬 Turnip greens – vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.
🫒 Extra virgin olive oil – heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and polyphenols.
🍋 Lemon juice – vitamin C and acidity that brightens the flavour.
🧄 Garlic – contains sulphur compounds such as allicin, associated with cardiovascular benefits.
🌲 Pine nuts – healthy fats, protein, magnesium and vitamin E.
🍅 Sun-dried tomatoes – concentrated flavour plus lycopene and antioxidants.
Eating the greens raw preserves vitamin C and some other heat-sensitive compounds that can be reduced during cooking. The olive oil also helps your body absorb the fat-soluble carotenoids in the leaves.
The only small caveat is that turnip greens, like many brassicas, contain compounds called oxalates and goitrogens. For most people this is not a concern at all, especially when eaten as part of a varied diet. If someone has a history of certain kidney stones or untreated thyroid disease, it’s simply something to be aware of rather than a reason to avoid them.
For an allotment gardener, it’s also wonderfully efficient: you’re turning what many people would discard into something closer to a Scottish version of a Mediterranean pesto. It fits perfectly with the old frugal principle of “eat the whole crop”—root and leaf both have their place, but nutritionally the greens are arguably the real treasure. 🌱🥬🍋🫒
I think it genuinely is one of the kitchen garden’s best-kept secrets.
Many gardeners grow turnips for the roots and either compost the leaves or perhaps steam them once or twice. Yet the greens are:
- Highly nutritious
- Available much earlier than the roots
- Tender when picked young
- Essentially a second crop from the same plant
- Perfect for pestos, soups, stir-fries and curries
In that sense, turnips are remarkably productive. You’re harvesting leaves while the roots are still swelling below ground.
Your pesto trick is excellent too. The cheap jar of green pesto provides a ready-made base of basil, cheese, nuts and seasoning. By blending it with fresh turnip greens and a little extra oil, lemon and garlic, you’re effectively stretching one jar into three jars of a fresher, more nutritious, home-grown pesto.
The advantages are:
🥬 More greens and nutrients
💷 Much cheaper than buying multiple jars
🌿 A fresher, greener flavour
🌱 No need to struggle growing basil in the Scottish climate
🫙 A chunkier texture that spreads beautifully on bread, melts into pasta or can be dolloped onto potatoes and grilled vegetables.
It also solves one of the classic UK kitchen garden problems: basil often wants more heat and consistent sunshine than we can reliably provide, whereas turnip tops seem perfectly happy to romp away in our cooler conditions.
Turnip Top Pesto – The Kitchen Garden’s Best-Kept Secret? 🥬🫙🌱
Most of us grow turnips for the roots and barely give the leaves a second thought. In fact, many gardeners remove the tops and put them straight onto the compost heap.
I think we’re missing a trick.
Turnip greens are incredibly nutritious – arguably even more so than the roots themselves. They are packed with vitamins A, C and K, along with calcium, fibre and beneficial plant compounds. In other words, the humble turnip is giving us two crops for the price of one.
Even better, the leaves can be harvested while the roots are still swelling below ground.
One of my favourite discoveries this year has been turnip top pesto.
My Cheat’s Version 🫒🍋🧄
I have never had much luck growing basil in Scotland, so I’ve developed my own shortcut.
I take:
- One inexpensive jar of green pesto
- A generous handful of fresh turnip greens
- A splash of extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- One or two cloves of garlic
- A handful of pine nuts if I have them
- Optional: a few sun-dried tomatoes
Everything goes into the blender and is whizzed together into a thick, chunky paste.
The result is delicious. One small jar of shop-bought pesto becomes around three jars of richer, fresher, allotment pesto, packed with home-grown goodness.
It’s wonderful:
🍝 Stirred through pasta
🥔 Spooned over hot new potatoes
🍞 Spread on crusty bread or toast
🌭 Served alongside grilled sausages and vegetables
🥗 Dolloped onto salads or roasted vegetables
I love the stuff.
Waste Nothing ♻️
And what about the stalks left over after picking the leaves?
Don’t throw them away.
Chop them into small pieces and use them as a chop-and-drop mulch around hungry crops such as courgettes. The stalks are full of moisture and nutrients and soon wilt down, helping to feed soil life and retain moisture in the ground.
Just avoid piling them right against the stem of the plant.
So the cycle becomes:
🥬 Turnip leaves into pesto
🫙 Pesto into the kitchen
🌱 Stalks back onto the soil
🥒 Mulch feeds the courgettes
♻️ Almost nothing goes to waste
To me, this is what the kitchen garden is all about: growing what thrives in our climate, finding value in every part of the crop and turning simple ingredients into something rather special.
Perhaps the humble turnip has been keeping its biggest secret all along. Sometimes the best harvest isn’t the root growing underground at all – it’s the leaves waving above it. 🥬🌱