Follow my step-by-step method to chop cilantro quickly for salsas and many recipes. Learning the best way to cut cilantro is a great knife skill to master.
Knowing how to chop cilantro will help you add the perfect flavor to all sorts of salsas, as well as Lebanese and Asian dishes. Important to know: fresh cilantro is superior to dried, and cilantro is used to finish dishes. It loses oomph when simmered.
Trim the cilantro. The stems of cilantro have a stronger flavor than the leaves. You can cut off the bottom stems if you only want the leaves.
How do you cut cilantro?
Start by lining up the cilantro bunch and use a sharp knife to cut off the larger, bottom stems especially if they are thick and woody. For a fine mince? Keep a longer length of the more tender stems but know they have a stronger flavor than the leaves. If you are chopping into large pieces or using whole leaves, toss the stems.
Fold the cilantro bunch in half the long way and use a rocking motion with the knife to chop horizontally as finely as needed.
How do you clean cilantro?
Those plastic clamshells or bunches of herbs might look clean but unless specifically labeled as prewashed, you need to rinse away any bacteria, dirt, or chemical residual. Here are my tips:
- Rinse under cold running water, shaking to make sure all leaves get washed.
- Or soak in a bowl of cold water and swish gently to remove dirt.
- If you are worried about bacteria, you can add white vinegar (two tablespoons vinegar for every one cup water) to the soak. Rinse afterward and be forewarned this can affect the taste.
- Remember, using bleach or other strong solutions to rinse produce can make you sick.
Next, dry by laying on paper towels and blotting. Or spin in a salad spinner if you have one.
How to Get the Leaves Off the Stems of Cilantro and Parsley
FAQ
Are you supposed to eat the stems of cilantro?
Do chefs use cilantro stems?
Do you throw away cilantro stems?
Do I need to remove the stems from fresh cilantro?
“When using fresh cilantro, do I need to remove every bit of the stems?” I get this question a lot and the answer is no. Remove stems from herbs if they have a woody or otherwise unpleasant texture and/or if they taste different from the leaves.
What are the health benefits of using cilantro?
The word cilantro is the Spanish name for coriander leaves. Benefits are protects against oxidative stress, lowers anxiety and improves sleep, lower blood sugar levels, protects against cardiovascular diseases, prevents urinary tract infections, prevents against food poisoning, obesity and seizure severity. Cilantro helps cure ulcers, inflammation, spasms and protects the liver.
Can you eat cilantro stems if you cut them?
However, there will still be the softer top of the stems. New growth stems that the leaves are attached to chop easily and aren’t noticeable when you eat the cilantro. If you are chopping and have a long piece of stem or two then you can easily pick them out. After the first pass of cutting I like to remove any stems I missed.
How do you cut off a cilantro plant?
Cut off the long stems. The stems are the parts that don’t have any leaves coming off of them. They are thicker and are typically ⅔rds of the bunch. Chop the stems off at the base of the leaves. Chop cilantro to desired consistency.