Inside the Spice Cabinet: Parsley

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
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updated May 2, 2019
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You may know parsley as the leafy garnish that gets pushed to the side of the plate without being eaten. But this leafy green can do so much more, if given the chance.

What Is Parsley?

Taste: Bitter
Most Popular Use: Salad, vegetables, soup

There are more than 30 varieties of parsley, though the most popular are curly parsley and flat-leaf, or Italian parsley. It has serrated, green leaves with a robust, earthy, green flavor.

Read More: What’s the Difference? Flat-leaf and Curly-leaf Parsley

Parsley can be purchase and used, dried and fresh, though the flavor of the dried variety is quite bland and bears little resemblance to fresh.

Read More: The Easiest Way to Preserve Parsley

How To Use Parsley

Parsley is commonly used across an array of cuisines, and perks up salads and vegetable dishes without stealing the show or overpowering other flavors. It’s wide used to flavor eggs, grains, soups, sauces, and many other savory dishes.

Parsley’s flavor is delicate, and doesn’t hold up well with heat or lengthy cooking, and is best adding at the very end of cooking.

Recipes for Cooking with Parsley

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herbs
Ingredient