Herbs

Parsley

Μαϊντανός · Maintanos

Flat-leaf parsley, a common finishing herb in Greek cooking
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Flat-leaf parsley is Greek cooking's finishing herb rather than its building-block one, which is the opposite role oregano and dill play. It goes in raw and last, scattered over a finished plate of grilled meat, stirred through a meatball or sausage mixture for freshness, or tossed over a dip just before it reaches the table.

Curly parsley is not really part of the tradition; flat-leaf, closer in character to the parsley used across the wider Mediterranean and Middle East, is what a Greek kitchen reaches for, valued for a cleaner, less bitter flavour than the curly variety carries.

It rarely gets to be the headline herb of a dish the way oregano or dill can, but its absence is noticeable: a plate of grilled fish or a bowl of keftedes without a scatter of chopped parsley reads as unfinished rather than simply plain.

Recipes with parsley

50 recipes on the site use it. Here are 36 of them.

A bowl of pale golden avgolemono soup with shredded chicken, rice and a lemon wedgeAvgolemono SoupKotosoupa avgolemono Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονοSoups · 1h 30m · serves 6A dish of baked giant beans in a rich orange tomato sauce with parsley and olive oilBaked Giant Beans in TomatoGigantes plaki Γίγαντες πλακίMain Courses · 2h 5m · serves 6A bowl of rough-textured aubergine dip with olive oil, parsley and a scattering of walnutsSmoky Aubergine DipMelitzanosalata ΜελιτζανοσαλάταDips and Sauces · 45m · serves 6A tray of baked stuffed tomatoes and peppers with browned tops and potato wedges between themGemistaGemista ΓεμιστάMain Courses · 2h 10m · serves 6A plate of golden brown Greek meatballs with lemon wedges and fresh mintKeftedesKeftedes ΚεφτέδεςMeze and Appetisers · 45m · serves 6A bowl of thick Greek white bean soup with carrot and celery, olive oil pooled on the surfaceFasoladaFasolada ΦασολάδαSoups · 1h 45m · serves 6A tray of collapsed roasted Greek vegetables, browned at the edges and glossy with olive oilBriamBriam ΜπριάμMain Courses · 2h · serves 6Thin slices of veal in a pale garlic and parsley sauce with rice alongsideVeal in Garlic and Vinegar SauceSofrito ΣοφρίτοMain Courses · 1h 35m · serves 4A bowl of smooth yellow split pea puree topped with raw red onion, capers and olive oilYellow Split Pea PureeFava Santorinis Φάβα ΣαντορίνηςDips and Sauces · 1h · serves 6Charred grilled octopus tentacles dressed with olive oil, vinegar and oreganoGrilled OctopusHtapodi sta karvouna Χταπόδι στα κάρβουναMeze and Appetisers · 1h 30m · serves 4Prawns baked in tomato sauce with melting feta and parsley in a small panPrawns with Feta and TomatoGarides saganaki Γαρίδες σαγανάκιMain Courses · 37m · serves 4Greek scrambled eggs with tomato and crumbled feta in a pan with breadScrambled Eggs with Tomato and FetaStrapatsada ΣτραπατσάδαBreakfast Recipes · 23m · serves 3Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oilDolmadesDolmades ΝτολμάδεςMeze and Appetisers · 1h 50m · serves 8Crisp Rhodian chickpea fritters piled on paper with lemon wedgesRhodes Chickpea and Tomato FrittersPitaroudia ΠιταρούδιαMeze and Appetisers · 45m · serves 6Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edgesCypriot Sausages in Caul FatSheftalia ΣεφταλιάMain Courses · 45m · serves 6A Greek bifteki patty cut open showing melted feta insideBiftekiBifteki ΜπιφτέκιMain Courses · 40m · serves 4Stuffed Florina PeppersPiperies Florinis gemistes Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης γεμιστέςMeze and Appetisers · 55m · serves 6A bowl of Greek giouvarlakia meatball soup in avgolemono sauceMeatball Soup in AvgolemonoGiouvarlakia ΓιουβαρλάκιαSoups · 1h 15m · serves 6Greek melitzanes imam baked aubergine with onion and tomatoAubergine Baked with Onion and TomatoMelitzanes imam Μελιτζάνες ιμάμMain Courses · 1h 20m · serves 4Greek gavros marinatos, marinated anchovy fillets in olive oilGavros MarinatosGavros marinatos Γαύρος μαρινάτοςMeze and Appetisers · 30m · serves 6A bowl of Greek patatosalata potato salad with red onion and herbsPotato SaladPatatosalata ΠατατοσαλάταSalads · 45m · serves 6A bowl of Greek fasolia salata white bean salad with red onion and parsleyWhite Bean SaladFasolia salata Φασόλια σαλάταSalads · 1h 15m · serves 6Corfu bianco, a pale white fish stew with potato and garlicCorfu White Fish StewBianco ΜπιάνκοMain Courses · 55m · serves 4Vegan Greek melitzanes gemistes stuffed aubergine halvesVegan Stuffed Aubergine with RiceMelitzanes gemistes Μελιτζάνες γεμιστέςMain Courses · 1h 40m · serves 6A slice of Greek kreatopita meat pie showing layered phyllo and fillingMeat Pie in PhylloKreatopita ΚρεατόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 50m · serves 8A slice of Greek kotopita chicken pie showing layered phyllo and fillingChicken Pie in PhylloKotopita ΚοτόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 8A slice of Greek melitzanopita aubergine and feta phyllo pieAubergine and Feta PieMelitzanopita ΜελιτζανόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 35m · serves 8A pot of Greek melitzanes yahni aubergine and tomato stewChunky Aubergine and Tomato StewMelitzanes yahni Μελιτζάνες γιαχνίMain Courses · 1h 10m · serves 4A bowl of Greek kritharosalata orzo pasta salad with tomato, feta and olivesOrzo Pasta SaladKritharosalata ΚριθαρόσαλαταSalads · 32m · serves 6Macedonian giaprakia stuffed cabbage rolls with avgolemono sauceMacedonian Stuffed Cabbage LeavesGiaprakia Thessalonikis Γιαπράκια ΘεσσαλονίκηςMain Courses · 2h · serves 6Plain Chickpea SoupRevithosoupa ΡεβιθόσουπαSoups · 1h 45m · serves 6Roasted Peppers with Garlic YogurtPiperies me giaourti Πιπεριές με γιαούρτιDips and Sauces · 20m · serves 4A pot of Greek kolokithakia yiahni courgette in tomato sauceCourgette in Tomato SauceKolokithakia yiahni Κολοκυθάκια γιαχνίSide Dishes · 45m · serves 4A bowl of Greek fakes salata lentil salad with red onion and parsleyLentil SaladFakes salata Φακές σαλάταSalads · 45m · serves 6A bowl of Greek revithosalata chickpea salad with red onion and parsleyChickpea SaladRevithosalata ΡεβιθοσαλάταSalads · 1h · serves 6Minced Meat Phyllo TrianglesBourekakia me kima Μπουρεκάκια με κιμάMeze and Appetisers · 1h 20m · serves 8