Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Herbs

Parsley

Μαϊντανός · Maintanos

Flat-leaf parsley, a common finishing herb in Greek cooking

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.

Photo: Perejil (Petroselinum crispum).jpg by Horacio Cambeiro, CC BY 3.0.

Recipes with parsley

44 recipes on the site using it.

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 Greek Dips and SaucesMelitzanosalata Μελιτζανοσαλάτα · 45m · serves 6 A tray of baked stuffed tomatoes and peppers with browned tops and potato wedges between them Greek Main CoursesGemista Γεμιστά · 2h 10m · serves 6 A plate of golden brown Greek meatballs with lemon wedges and fresh mint Greek Meze and AppetisersGreek Keftedes Κεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6 A bowl of thick Greek white bean soup with carrot and celery, olive oil pooled on the surface Greek SoupsFasolada Φασολάδα · 1h 45m · serves 6 A tray of collapsed roasted Greek vegetables, browned at the edges and glossy with olive oil Greek Main CoursesBriam Μπριάμ · 2h · serves 6 Thin slices of veal in a pale garlic and parsley sauce with rice alongside Greek Main CoursesCorfu Sofrito Σοφρίτο · 1h 35m · serves 4 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 Charred grilled octopus tentacles dressed with olive oil, vinegar and oregano Greek Meze and AppetisersGreek Grilled Octopus Χταπόδι στα κάρβουνα · 1h 30m · serves 4 Prawns baked in tomato sauce with melting feta and parsley in a small pan Greek Main CoursesGarides Saganaki Γαρίδες σαγανάκι · 37m · serves 4 Greek scrambled eggs with tomato and crumbled feta in a pan with bread Greek Breakfast RecipesStrapatsada Στραπατσάδα · 23m · serves 3 Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oil Greek Meze and AppetisersDolmades Ντολμάδες · 1h 50m · serves 8 Crisp Rhodian chickpea fritters piled on paper with lemon wedges Greek Meze and AppetisersPitaroudia Πιταρούδια · 45m · serves 6 Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edges Greek Main CoursesSheftalia Σεφταλιά · 45m · serves 6 A Greek bifteki patty cut open showing melted feta inside Greek Main CoursesBifteki Μπιφτέκι · 40m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersPiperies Florinis Gemistes Πιπεριές Φλωρίνης γεμιστές · 55m · serves 6 A bowl of Greek giouvarlakia meatball soup in avgolemono sauce Greek SoupsGiouvarlakia Γιουβαρλάκια · 1h 15m · serves 6 Greek melitzanes imam baked aubergine with onion and tomato Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Imam Μελιτζάνες ιμάμ · 1h 20m · serves 4 Greek gavros marinatos, marinated anchovy fillets in olive oil Greek Meze and AppetisersGavros Marinatos Γαύρος μαρινάτος · 30m · serves 6 A bowl of Greek patatosalata potato salad with red onion and herbs Greek SaladsPatatosalata Πατατοσαλάτα · 45m · serves 6 A bowl of Greek fasolia salata white bean salad with red onion and parsley Greek SaladsFasolia Salata Φασόλια σαλάτα · 1h 15m · serves 6 Corfu bianco, a pale white fish stew with potato and garlic Greek Main CoursesBianco Corfu Μπιάνκο · 55m · serves 4 Vegan Greek melitzanes gemistes stuffed aubergine halves Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Gemistes Μελιτζάνες γεμιστές · 1h 40m · serves 6 A slice of Greek kreatopita meat pie showing layered phyllo and filling Greek Breads and PiesKreatopita Κρεατόπιτα · 1h 50m · 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 melitzanopita aubergine and feta phyllo pie Greek Breads and PiesMelitzanopita Μελιτζανόπιτα · 1h 35m · serves 8 A pot of Greek melitzanes yahni aubergine and tomato stew Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Yahni Μελιτζάνες γιαχνί · 1h 10m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek kritharosalata orzo pasta salad with tomato, feta and olives Greek SaladsKritharosalata Κριθαρόσαλατα · 32m · serves 6 Macedonian giaprakia stuffed cabbage rolls with avgolemono sauce Greek Main CoursesGiaprakia Thessalonikis Γιαπράκια Θεσσαλονίκης · 2h · serves 6 Greek SoupsRevithosoupa Ρεβιθόσουπα · 1h 45m · serves 6 Greek Dips and SaucesPiperies me Giaourti Πιπεριές με γιαούρτι · 20m · serves 4 A pot of Greek kolokithakia yiahni courgette in tomato sauce Greek Side DishesKolokithakia Yiahni Κολοκυθάκια γιαχνί · 45m · serves 4 A bowl of Greek fakes salata lentil salad with red onion and parsley Greek SaladsFakes Salata Φακές σαλάτα · 45m · serves 6 A bowl of Greek revithosalata chickpea salad with red onion and parsley Greek SaladsRevithosalata Ρεβιθοσαλάτα · 1h · serves 6 Greek Meze and AppetisersBourekakia me Kima Μπουρεκάκια με κιμά · 1h 20m · serves 8 Greek astakomakaronada lobster pasta in rich tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesAstakomakaronada Αστακομακαρονάδα · 1h 15m · serves 4 A bowl of smoky Greek melitzanosalata dip with charred aubergine skin nearby Greek Dips and SaucesMelitzanosalata Kapnisti Μελιτζανοσαλάτα καπνιστή · 45m · serves 6 Greek loukaniko sausage braised in red wine sauce Greek Main CoursesLoukaniko Krasato Λουκάνικο κρασάτο · 50m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersMydia Saganaki Μύδια σαγανάκι · 40m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesBakaliaros Plaki Μπακαλιάρος πλακί · 1h 10m · serves 4 A whole baked Greek tsipoura sea bream with lemon and herbs Greek Main CoursesTsipoura Psiti Τσιπούρα ψητή · 40m · serves 2 A dish of Greek kalamari gemisto stuffed squid in tomato sauce Greek Main CoursesKalamari Gemisto Καλαμάρι γεμιστό · 1h 20m · serves 4 Greek Main CoursesHtapodi Makaronaki Χταπόδι μακαρονάκι · 1h 35m · serves 4

More herbs

OreganoDillMintBay Leaf