Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Herbs

Dill

Άνηθος · Anithos

Fresh dill fronds, a staple herb in Greek cooking

Dill is the herb an outsider to Greek cooking consistently underestimates, since the cuisine's reputation abroad leans so heavily on oregano and mint that dill barely registers. In practice it is the herb running through an enormous share of the vegetable and rice repertoire: spanakorizo, dolmades, fasolakia, and the fish dishes of the islands all lean on it rather than on parsley.

It pairs specifically well with rice and with anything cooked in egg and lemon, which is presumably why avgolemono soups so often carry a small handful stirred in at the end. The feathery fronds go in fresh and late, since dill loses its character fast under sustained heat, in the same way it does in most other cuisines that use it seriously.

Where a recipe outside Greece would default to parsley for a green, fresh finish, a genuinely Greek version of the same dish will very often reach for dill instead, and substituting one for the other changes the dish's identity more than the small size of the herb would suggest.

Photo: Dill Plant.jpg by Filipinotayo, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recipes with dill

38 recipes on the site using it.

A bowl of thick white tzatziki with olive oil pooled on top and a sprig of dill Greek Dips and SaucesGreek Tzatziki Τζατζίκι · 15m · serves 6 A tray of spanakopita cut into squares showing green spinach filling under crisp golden phyllo Greek Breads and PiesGreek Spanakopita Σπανακόπιτα · 1h 30m · serves 8 A bowl of pale golden avgolemono soup with shredded chicken, rice and a lemon wedge Greek SoupsGreek Avgolemono Soup Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο · 1h 30m · serves 6 A dish of baked giant beans in a rich orange tomato sauce with parsley and olive oil Greek Main CoursesGigantes Plaki Γίγαντες πλακί · 2h 5m · serves 6 A bowl of smooth yellow split pea puree topped with raw red onion, capers and olive oil Greek Dips and SaucesSantorini Fava Φάβα Σαντορίνης · 1h · serves 6 A square of Greek cheese pie with crisp layered phyllo and a pale creamy filling Greek Breads and PiesTiropita Τυρόπιτα · 1h 15m · serves 8 Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oil Greek Meze and AppetisersDolmades Ντολμάδες · 1h 50m · serves 8 Golden Greek courgette fritters piled on a plate with tzatziki and lemon Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithokeftedes Κολοκυθοκεφτέδες · 55m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesHirino me Selino Χοιρινό με σέλινο · 2h 5m · serves 6 A pot of Greek spanakorizo spinach and rice, deep green and glossy Greek Main CoursesSpanakorizo Σπανακόρυζο · 45m · serves 4 A pot of Greek prasorizo leek and rice, pale and glossy with olive oil Greek Main CoursesPrasorizo Πρασόρυζο · 50m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek magiritsa Easter soup with fresh dill Greek SoupsMagiritsa Μαγειρίτσα · 2h 30m · serves 8 A plate of golden fried Greek revithokeftedes chickpea fritters Greek Meze and AppetisersRevithokeftedes Ρεβιθοκεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6 Greek Meze and AppetisersPiperies Florinis Gemistes Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης γεμιστές · 55m · serves 6 Greek Breads and PiesKolokithopita Epirus Κολοκυθόπιτα Ηπείρου · 1h 55m · serves 8 A bowl of Greek giouvarlakia meatball soup in avgolemono sauce Greek SoupsGiouvarlakia Γιουβαρλάκια · 1h 15m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesMarouli Dolmades Ντολμάδες με μαρούλι · 1h 25m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesMastelo Sifnou Μαστέλο Σίφνου · 2h 50m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesArni Fricassee Αρνί φρικασέ · 2h · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesArni me Anginares Αρνί με αγκινάρες · 2h 10m · serves 6 A bowl of Greek marouli salata shredded romaine lettuce salad Greek SaladsMarouli Salata Μαρουλοσαλάτα · 15m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek patatosalata potato salad with red onion and herbs Greek SaladsPatatosalata Πατατοσαλάτα · 45m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesAnginares a la Polita Αγκινάρες αλά πολίτα · 1h 20m · serves 4 A slice of Greek prasopita leek and feta pie showing layered phyllo Greek Breads and PiesPrasopita Πρασόπιτα · 1h 30m · serves 8 A tray of golden Greek tiropitakia trigona cheese triangle pastries Greek Meze and AppetisersTiropitakia Trigona Τυροπιτάκια τρίγωνα · 1h 10m · serves 8 A slice of Greek spanakotyropita spinach and cheese pie Greek Breads and PiesSpanakotyropita Σπανακοτυρόπιτα · 1h 25m · serves 8 A slice of Greek kotopita chicken pie showing layered phyllo and filling Greek Breads and PiesKotopita Κοτόπιτα · 1h 30m · serves 8 A slice of Greek hortopita wild greens pie Greek Breads and PiesHortopita Χορτόπιτα · 1h 25m · serves 8 A bowl of chilled Greek tarator yogurt and cucumber soup with walnuts Greek SoupsTarator Ταράτορ · 15m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek kritharosalata orzo pasta salad with tomato, feta and olives Greek SaladsKritharosalata Κριθαρόσαλατα · 32m · serves 6 A slice of Kalymnos sfougato courgette and herb frittata Greek Main CoursesSfougato Kalymnou Σφουγγάτο Καλύμνου · 1h · serves 6 Greek kolokithoanthoi gemisti stuffed courgette flowers Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithoanthoi Gemisti Κολοκυθοανθοί γεμιστοί · 1h 10m · serves 6 A pot of Greek kolokithakia yiahni courgette in tomato sauce Greek Side DishesKolokithakia Yiahni Κολοκυθάκια γιαχνί · 45m · serves 4 A pot of Greek anginares me araka artichokes with peas and dill Greek Side DishesAnginares me Araka Αγκινάρες με αρακά · 1h · serves 4 Golden fried Greek patatokeftedes potato fritters Greek Side DishesPatatokeftedes Πατατοκεφτέδες · 50m · serves 6 Aubergine-wrapped Greek dolmades in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Ntolmades Ντολμάδες με μελιτζάνα · 1h 30m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesBourani me Kotopoulo Μπουράνι με κοτόπουλο · 1h 15m · serves 4 A dish of Greek kalamari gemisto stuffed squid in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesKalamari Gemisto Καλαμάρι γεμιστό · 1h 20m · serves 4

More herbs

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