While parsley is often used as a pretty pop of green to garnish, it’s also included in a number of recipes. From salsa to soups and everything in between, the recipe you’re making tonight may call for parsley. But if you’re fresh out of fresh parsley and even dried parsley in your spice rack, you need to know these 25 best substitutes that can help you without sending you on a trip to the store.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclaimer for details.
Table of Contents
About Parsley
Parsley is usually what flanks your restaurant meals or adds that special, clean, and fresh taste to a variety of dishes. It comes in flat leaf and curly varieties, which mostly taste the same and can be used interchangeably without causing a commotion.
Fresh vs. Dried
Fresh parsley is a little sweeter and much fresher in taste and gives your dishes a burst of freshness. In a pinch, dried parsley can be used, especially to sprinkle some color on top of your meals before serving. Dried parsley is much more concentrated in flavor comparatively.
Nutrition For Mental Health
Parsley is not only flavorful but also packed with health benefits. It’s an excellent source of vitamin K. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin K has been shown to decrease symptoms of depression [1].
Parsley is also a good source of vitamins A, C, and folate. It is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and carotenoids. Antioxidants have been shown to protect your cells from free radicals and oxidative stress [2].
Quick Guide
If you’re quickly looking for something to use in place of parsley, this quick guide can help!
Would you like to save this?
- Substitute For Parsley In Pasta: Go with chervil, chives, or tarragon.
- Parsley Substitute For Garlic Bread: Try fresh rosemary or dried Italian seasoning.
- Substitute For Parsley In Meat Balls (Vegan): You can use fresh basil to uphold that Italian flavor.
- Parsley Sub For Middle Eastern Cuisine: Fresh mint, dill, chervil, or cilantro can be your stand-in for parsley here.
The List: 25 Best Parsley Substitutes
Here are the best parsley substitutes you can use when cooking!
- Fresh Curly Leaf Parsley: Fresh curly leaf parsley is the best substitute when your recipe calls for fresh Italian parsley. It’s only subtly different and won’t impact your desired end result.
- Dried Curly Parsley: If your recipe calls for fresh curly leaf parsley, you can get away with using the dried version, particularly if the parsley will be cooked into the recipe. If not, use something fresh instead.
- Fresh Italian Parsley: Fresh Italian parsley can replace fresh curly leaf parsley with ease!
- Dried Italian Parsley: When you need fresh Italian parsley but can’t find that or curly leaf parsley, you may be able to use dried Italian parsley, especially when the recipe only calls for a small amount.
- Fines Herbes: This French staple may be in your spice rack. It generally contains some parsley along with chervil, chives, and tarragon, serving to elevate the flavors of your meal.
- Fresh Chervil: Fresh chervil has a similar taste to parsley that can help you add depth to your recipes.
- Dried Chervil: In a pinch, dried chervil can also substitute your parsley, if you have it on your spice rack.
- Celery Leaves: If you have celery in your fridge, trim and clean the leaves on top. They are more bitter than parsley but they can give your soups and stews that lift of flavor.
- Carrot Tops: The great thing about carrot tops is that you can use them anywhere that you would use parsley. This also prevents waste and makes full use of your vegetable bounty.
- Arugula: Slightly peppery, arugula can be added in small amounts to replace parsley, though it will give it a little different bit of a taste, which may not be a bad thing.
- Dandelion Greens: Use dandelion greens to brighten your recipes and add balance to rich flavors when you don’t have parsley.
- Fresh Chives: Chives are more like mild versions of garlic and onions, so add them sparingly to make sure you don’t overpower your dish.
- Dried Chives: Using dried chives will add a less powerful chive flavor that may be an option for you when you need parsley.
- Green Onions: When parsley is to be your garnish, you may be able to swap it with green onions. It will add a bright green contrast to your meal.
- Fresh Cilantro Leaves: Cilantro will also work, though be careful. People either love or hate it, and it’s best to know for sure how they feel. You can garnish with fresh cilantro as long as no one else minds.
- Dried Coriander: Dried coriander, or cilantro, can also add another layer of flavor to your dish when no parsley is present in your pantry.
- Fresh Basil: Fragrant and sweet basil is a great substitute in Italian dishes. It will certainly change the flavor profile, but depending on what you’re serving, it can really make your meal stand out.
- Dried Basil: You can also try dried basil in the absence of fresh basil. Again, it will provide a different taste, which could work.
- Fresh Oregano: Fresh oregano, like basil, will bring its own unique flavor to the dish. In Mediterranean meals, it can be a welcome change that adds herby tastes to your dish.
- Dried Oregano: In the event that you don’t have fresh oregano to replace parsley, go with dried oregano.
- Fresh Tarragon: Fresh tarragon tastes a little like anise, so it’s going to change the outcome of your recipe’s flavors. This may be the zing it needs to make your meal a memorable one.
- Dried Tarragon: No fresh tarragon? Your dried tarragon from your spice rack can certainly help.
- Fresh Mint: Fresh mint is probably best reserved for your Middle Eastern recipes. Mint has a distinctive flavor that can clash with certain other ingredients, though in these types of dishes, it has the power to make it sing!
- Fresh Savory: You’ll be more likely to find the other substitutes on this list before you find fresh savory, but if you have it, you may find it’s a great parsley swap.
- Dried Savory: If dried savory is the only one you’ve got in your pantry, you can use it to replace parsley.
FAQ
Most of the time, parsley is an accent in a recipe or a garnish. Often, you can substitute it for another herb, either fresh or dried, to add the herby flavors you need.
Mint may not always be the best swap for parsley because mint is, well, minty. And parsley is more on the peppery side. However, if you are making a Middle Eastern dish, the pop of mint may be a nice touch.
Green onion is often used to replace parsley, particularly when it comes to garnishes. Remember, it will add a hint of oniony flavors, so make sure you don’t add too much to overpower the dish.
If you need a good substitute for dried parsley, fresh parsley is the closest substitute. However, if you need to stick with a dried spice, go with chervil, basil, cilantro, or Italian seasoning, the latter of which has parsley.
Final Words
Parsley isn’t always the main attraction in a recipe. It’s often a garnish, which can easily be replaced in many ways, as my list above provides. However, when it is involved in the cooking process, replacing it can change the flavor. Consider this as you make your swaps and see which one would pair best with the other flavors involved in your dish to make the best substitution decision for parsley.
References
[1] Bolzetta, F., Veronese, N., Stubbs, B., Noale, M., Vaona, A., Demurtas, J., Celotto, S., Cacco, C., Cester, A., Caruso, M. G., Reddavide, R., Notarnicola, M., Maggi, S., Koyanagi, A., Fornaro, M., Firth, J., Smith, L., & Solmi, M. (2019). The Relationship between Dietary Vitamin K and Depressive Symptoms in Late Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Large Cohort Study. Nutrients, 11(4), 787. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040787
[2] Ogita, T., Vallejo Manaois, R., Wakagi, M., Oki, T., Takano Ishikawa, Y., & Watanabe, J. (2016). Identification and evaluation of antioxidants in Japanese parsley. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 67(4), 431–440. https://doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2016.1170770
