Parsley is often sold in bunches that are way too big. And as a kitchen garden herb, it yields abundantly. Versatile and flavorful as it is, most recipes call for just a small amount. Here’s a selection of plant-based recipes that use 1/2 cup or more of parsley, perfect for when those big bunches need to be used up.
This versatile culinary herb is commonly available in flat leaf (sometimes called Italian parsley) and curly leaf varieties. Using parsley fresh rather than dried makes sense — it’s available year-round, and inexpensive. Dried parsley simply has little flavor and there’s no advantage to using it.
Fresh parsley is packed with flavor and fragrance and is a good source of vitamin C. Its uses are too extensive to list — there are few categories of cuisine, aside from desserts, where it would be unwelcome.
Tips for using fresh parsley
Buying fresh parsley: Use the same standards for buying fresh herbs at market as you would for other fresh produce. The leaves should be plump, shiny, and uniform, and not wilted or starting to yellow and the aroma should be fresh and fragrant.
Harvesting parsley from your home garden: Growing your own herbs is fairly easy, and harvesting them is even more so, with just a few helpful tips to remember. Find tips on growing your own parsley in 4 Italian Herbs to Grow in Your Kitchen Garden.
How to store fresh parsley: Remove any rubber bands or twist-ties. Store individual bunches of herbs in airtight containers lined with paper towel in the refrigerator. This will help parsley keep for several days, but the sooner used, the better.
You can also immerse bunches with longer stems (like parsley or cilantro) in a tall-ish, narrow glass filled halfway with water, then cover the whole thing with a plastic produce bag. Place it in a secure spot, like the door of the refrigerator.
Finally, you can also purchase special containers meant for keeping fresh herbs longer. Search for “fresh herb keeper.”
Cooking with parsley, or using it raw: Parsley is a great herb to use raw, whether in cool salads or as a garnish for hot dishes. If using it in cooked dishes, add it at or near the very end of cooking time to retain color and flavor.
Fresh vs. dried parsley: Swap in for dried herbs: To use a fresh herb when a dried one is called for, swap it in using a 3-to-1 ratio of fresh to dried amounts given in the recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried herb, use 1 tablespoon (which equals 3 teaspoons) of fresh.
However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. If you want to be more lavish with the fresh herb, by all means! And as mentioned before, there’s little reason to use dried parsley.
Can you freeze fresh parsley? Fresh herbs, including parsley will keep for several months in the freezer. Wash and dry the parsley (it’s best to remove the leaves from the stems, then discard the stems), then store in well-sealed plastic bags or small freezer containers, labeled and dated.
Because parsley becomes limp after being frozen and thawed, use in dishes that need some simmering, like soups, stews, or pasta sauces.
Substitute for fresh parsley: The closest swap-in for parsley is cilantro. It has somewhat similar leaves, but a different flavor profile and is more commonly used in Mexican and Asian dishes. However, if you prefer it, go for it! You can also use small-leafed greens like watercress or sprouts, but that’s a different aesthetic as well.
Parsley Pesto, Dressings, and Dips
Green Goddess Parsley Salad Dressing: This dressing is packed with flavor, making salads that much better year round. Cucumber is part of the base of this dressing, and fresh dill is an optional addition that amps up the fresh herbal flavor.
Tahini-Parsley Salad Dressing has a luscious flavor, making good use of nutrient-rich fresh herbs. The base is made with tahini and cucumber.
Arugula Pesto: This versatile pesto sauce combining arugula and parsley can be made with pine nuts or walnuts and used in several delicious ways.
Roasted Eggplant and Almond Butter Spread: Like baba ghanouj with a little something extra, this roasted eggplant spread is richly flavored and has a generous dose of parsley.
Salads featuring parsley
Quinoa Tabbouli and a Nearly Instant Mezze Platter: A nearly instant mezze (aka Middle Eastern, aka Mediterranean) platter is centered around an easy quinoa tabbouli. Add olives, stuffed grape leaves, pita, hummus, and olives, and you’ve got a feast, fast!
Israeli Couscous Salad with Cucumber and Fresh Herbs is a great way to use this tiny, tender pasta (also known as pearl couscous). With plenty of parsley, scallion, and red onion, it’s flavored with lemon and a hint of fresh mint.
Black Lentil Salad with Peppers and Olives: Hearty and substantial, this black lentil salad can be also be made with brown or green lentils, and is beautiful and festive. Diminutive, gleaming black lentils (also called Beluga lentils) contrast beautifully with the other ingredients in this dish.
Carrot Chickpea Salad with Olives & Parsley: This simple salad is inspired by a traditional Middle Eastern recipe. Embellished with lots of parsley and briny olives, the carrots and chickpeas are a compatible duo in this salad.
Pasta dishes with plenty of parsley
Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Summer Squashes: This flavorful dish of pasta with parsley pesto is a great way to use up a bunch of this abundant herb. With the zucchini and yellow summer squash, this summer squash pasta recipe becomes a lively, naturally vegan main dish to serve warm or at room temperature.
Pasta with Leafy Greens Pesto: Leafy greens pesto using spinach, arugula, and/or watercress is a lighter, greener sauce for easy pasta dishes like this one; it’s also good on warm potatoes, potato salads, grain pilafs, and more.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca: The characteristic ingredients of this classic Italian pasta recipe are briny olives and capers. Naturally plant-based, it also features fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, and fresh parsley.
Lots of Parsley in Soups and stews
Spanish Vegetable Stew (menestra de verduras) has many regional variations, and can be made with different vegetables according to season. Many traditional versions aren’t vegan, though this one is 100% plant-based!
Cinnamon-Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Stew: Cinnamon-spiced chickpea and lentil stew is an easy-to-prepare dish that will warm you up on any chilly night. It’s easy enough to make for weeknight meals and festive enough for special occasions.
Moroccan Vegetable Stew is a classic dish that looks as enticing as it tastes. A cumin-scented couscous chickpea recipe, it’s embellished with pumpkin or butternut squash, potatoes, and carrots, it’s a comforting cool-weather meal.
Vegan Cream of Leafy Greens Soup: When you have a surplus of greens and herbs that need to be used up, this vegan cream of leafy greens soup does the trick deliciously.
Parsley-flavored side dishes
Sautéed Garlic Mushrooms with Sriracha and Parsley: A simple dish of garlic mushrooms made in the skillet is spiced up to your taste with sriracha. Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
Corn and Potatoes with Parsley Pesto: This medley of corn and potatoes enveloped in parsley pesto is best in late summer, when fresh corn is at its most flavorful, though you can enjoy it year round.
Chimchurri Corn on the Cob: This herb-based sauce originates from Argentina and is divine over veggies of all kinds. Chimchurri corn on the cob is just one delicious way to use it. This recipe by Vicki Brett-Gach features one cup each of fresh parsley, cilantro and basil!
Moroccan Carrots: This recipe for Moroccan carrots makes a generous portion to serve as a side dish perfect for special occasions and holidays. An abundant dish of lightly cooked carrots, it’s flavored with garlic, lemon, parsley, and a subtle touch of cumin.
Persian-Style Spinach with Black-Eyed Peas, Leeks, and Herbs: Sabzi is the Persian word that refers to greens and herbs, ingredients typical to this Middle Eastern cuisine. Spinach with black-eyed peas, embellished with leeks and herbs, is a wonderful way to enjoy this region’s typical ingredients.
More Parsley Recipes
Cheesy Vegan Corn Muffins with Fresh Herbs: Moist and flavorful, these cheesy vegan corn muffins with fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro plus scallion) pair perfectly with hearty soups. Fresh herbs (you have a choice of parsley or cilantro) add visual interest as well as flavor.
Vegan Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes: Fresh spinach gives this vegan pesto pizza a vivid color, and a choice of fresh basil or parsley (or a combination of both) adds the strong herbal flavor you’ve come to expect from pesto. An offbeat and delicious way to enjoy pizza with classic summer ingredients!
Do you love fresh herbs?
See more in
10 Fresh Herbs That Are Better to Use Than Dried
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