10 surprising foods to substitute the parsley

We all use herbs and spices to flavor our food and make it more palatable. Of the numerous herbs available for use, both flat leaf and curly leaf parsley are quite common. Read on to know about the food replacements that you can use in case you don’t have any available.

Parsley is a very versatile herb that is added to flavor many delicious food preparations. It can be found both in the fresh and dried forms. There are two varieties of parsley, namely curly leaf, and flat-leaf, which are used food cooking and medicinal purposes. Here are the other food ingredients that you can substitute it with, in case you don’t have any parsley available on hand.

Chervil

Commonly used in French cuisine, this herb is closely related to parsley and can perfectly substitute it in food preparations. It even looks identical to the flat-leaf parsley. Being slightly mild in flavor, you will have to use more of it to get the same taste in food.

Tarragon

Again a favorite in the French cooking, tarragon can be used to substitute parsley as a garnishing agent. It can also be used as a part of ‘fines herbes’ to replace the flavor of parsley in cooked preparations.

Oregano

Use a lesser quantity of oregano, compared to the amount of parsley used, to flavor the food preparations as it has a robust flavor.

Chives

Being a rich source of beta carotene, both fresh and dried forms of chives can also be added to food preparations to mimic the flavor of parsley.

Arugula

It has a slightly bitter and peppery taste. Add these salad leaves to the food preparations after finely chopping them and in small amounts compared to parsley, as it is somewhat bitter in taste.

Endive

Curly leaf endive looks quite similar to the curly leaf parsley. So, use this salad green as a replacement of parsley in garnishes or cooked preparations, but in smaller quantities, as it has a strong flavor.

Cilantro

This strongly flavored herb looks similar to flat-leaf parsley and thus can be used to garnish or flavor many Mexican and Thai food preparations.

Basil

This brightly colored herb can be used as a substitute for parsley, only in the Italian food preparations.

Celery

Leaves of celery look quite similar to flat-leaf parsley and can be used as its substitute to only garnish food preparations, owing to its very subtle flavor.

Carrot green

Leaves of carrot may taste a bit bitter, so it is best to use them as a substitute in only cooked recipes.