Parsley
Parsley is a mild, grassy, slightly peppery herb used across nearly every Western and Middle Eastern cuisine, both as a quiet background note and as a defining fresh ingredient in its own right. This page covers buying, storing, and its classic uses.
How to buy
Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley has more flavor and is generally preferred for cooking, while curly parsley is milder and used mostly as a garnish. Look for bright green, crisp leaves with no yellowing or wilting.
How to store
Stand the stems in a jar of water, loosely covered with a plastic bag, and refrigerate, changing the water every few days -- this keeps parsley fresh for well over a week.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Fresh and grassy with a slight peppery bitterness; it's much milder than most other fresh herbs, which is exactly why it works as a quiet base note rather than a dominant flavor.
- Texture
- Flat-leaf parsley has tender, slightly ruffled leaves, while curly parsley is stiffer and crisper, used more for texture and garnish than for flavor.
- Aroma
- A fresh, green, slightly peppery smell.
How to prepare
- Finely chopped — Chopped fine and scattered over finished dishes or stirred into sauces.
- Bouquet garni component — Tied whole into a bundle with other herbs and simmered in stocks and braises.
- Blended into sauces — Blended with garlic, oil, and acid into sauces like gremolata or salsa verde.
- Base of a salad — Used as a leafy main ingredient rather than a garnish, as in tabbouleh.
Classic dishes
American
- Tartar sauce — A creamy condiment for fried fish, often flecked with chopped parsley.
- Parsley potato salad — A simple potato salad brightened with a generous handful of chopped parsley.
- Chicken soup — A comforting broth-based soup traditionally finished with a scatter of fresh parsley.
Italian
- Gremolata — A bright topping of chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic, classically spooned over osso buco.
- Italian salsa verde — A parsley, caper, and anchovy sauce served over boiled meats and grilled fish.
- Minestrone — A vegetable soup often finished with a scatter of fresh chopped parsley.
French
- Persillade — A simple mixture of chopped parsley and garlic, stirred into dishes or sprinkled over finished plates.
- Maître d'hôtel butter — A compound butter of parsley, lemon, and butter, melted over grilled steak or fish.
- Bouquet garni — A tied herb bundle that traditionally includes parsley stems alongside thyme and bay.
Greek
- Horiatiki salad — A Greek village salad of tomato, cucumber, and feta, sometimes garnished with chopped parsley.
Middle Eastern
- Tabbouleh — A parsley-forward salad with just a small amount of bulgur, tossed with tomato, lemon, and olive oil.
- Fattoush — A Levantine bread salad brightened with chopped parsley among its fresh herbs.
- Chermoula — A North African herb marinade built on parsley and cilantro, used on grilled or baked fish.
- Falafel — Chickpea fritters often colored deep green inside by a generous amount of parsley blended into the mix.
German
- Frankfurter Grüne Soße — A traditional German green sauce made from a mix of seven fresh herbs, including parsley, served over eggs or potatoes.
Substitutions
- Cilantro — Cilantro brings a citrusy punch parsley doesn't have, and works as a swap in sauces and garnishes where that brightness fits.