Many of the different types of vegetables and herbs that we eat on a daily basis actually have edible stems that can be prepared like the rest of the plant. The stems often carry more taste than the leaves and there are plenty of areas of use for them, but they’re still often thrown in the trash when the leaves have been removed.
So what’s the deal with parsley stems?
You can eat parsley stems both raw and cooked. While parsley stems are edible, they can be bitter in taste so they should be used in moderation or with caution. The stems are nutritious and can be chopped up and mixed with the parsley leaves then used for salads, garlic bread, salsas, stews, and much more.
Removing the parsley leaves from the stem can be a time-consuming process. But, because the stem is edible, there’s no real need to remove the leaves from the stem so carefully. It should be noted that there are different ways of doing this, and some ways are better than others.
Continue reading to find out more about how to handle parsley stems.
What Do Parsley Stems Taste Like?
Parsley stems taste like regular parsley, but the flavor is more bitter than the leaves. Additionally, the texture of the stems is a bit rougher than the leaves. This can add a crunchy texture if the stem is chopped up into fine pieces, but also become too much if the pieces aren’t small enough.
This comes down to personal preference and method of preparation, of course. Some people love to have larger chunks of the stem while others just want thin slices. This becomes less of a problem if the stem is heated, as that breaks down the fibers, making it softer and easier to chew.
The bitter taste of the parsley stem becomes more intense the further down the stem you come. If you’re considering using parsley stems, remember that you don’t have to cut all the way down if you want to avoid bitterness.
It isn’t very rare for herb or vegetable stems to carry more flavor than the other parts, and in some cases, that flavor is bitterness.
With that said, you can absolutely use parsley stems in your cooking but remember to use them where the somewhat bitter taste won’t be out of place. Stews and soups are good examples of dishes where parsley stems mix well.
What To Do With Parsley Stems?
I’ve mentioned a few areas where parsley stems can be used, and where they mix well, but there’s much more that can be done with them. While it comes down to personal preference, here’s a list of things that I like to use my parsley stems for. Hopefully, this will prove to be helpful if you’re having a hard time coming up with ideas for your stems.
- Salsas: Almost all types of stems can be used to give flavor to salsas, and they’re great for it. Chop them up into fine pieces or mix them in a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Yum. Preferably, mix with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, garlic, lime or red dried chiles.
- Broth: Broth, like salsa, is the perfect place to put your stems to use. Your leftover parsley stems can be mixed with other ingredients to make a flavorful broth. This makes for a very tasty vegetable stock if mixed with other vegetable and herb stems.
- Soup: Depending on what you’re after, either chop the parsley stems up into thin slices or slightly bigger pieces. Thin slices will turn soft when they’re boiled, while the bigger pieces will provide a bit of texture. The fibers will still break down under the heat, regardless of size. Can also be chopped upp and sprinkled over the soup.
- Salad: Parsley stems, and other herb stems, mix well in a salad.
- Vinaigrette: Parsley stems can give vinaigrette a fresh flavor. Simply chop them up into small pieces and toss them in the vinaigrette.
- Marinade: Parsley stems mixed with soy sauce, oil and spices makes for a great marinade. You can also drizzle some oil in a frying pan and toss the chopped parsley stems into the pan.
Stir-frying stems, along with all other ideas, are great ways to reduce food waste. Whether it is for economical reasons or environmental reasons, come up with your own ideas to make sure you get the most out of your herbs and vegetables.
Can You Eat the Whole Parsley Plant?
Store-bought parsley is sold as a bouquet of leaves and stems, while homegrown parsley comes with roots and flowers. Every single part of the parsley plant is edible. The flowers can be used as a garnish or, just as the rest of the plant, be mixed into a pesto, salsa, tzatziki, hummus, or other sauce to give it flavor.
Parsley roots have a mild parsley taste with hints of celery, carrot, and turnip. The roots can be used both raw and cooked, and make a great addition in any soup or stew. Parsley roots are also commonly used to make parsley root tea, which can be made with all parts of the plant, actually.
The parsley root looks very much like a parsnip, but they’re different. Parsnips are creamy in color, while parsley roots are white.
Can You Juice Parsley Stems?
You can juice parsley stems just like you would juice the leaves. However, because of the stem’s somewhat bitter taste and rough texture, I suggest cutting and removing the bottom third of the stem. This will leave you with the best parts of the plant to juice.
It’s quite simple to do. Here’s how.
- Wash and cut the parsley along with the other ingredients you want to juice
- Remove the bottom third of the stem
- Feed through the tube into the juicer along with other ingredients of your choice.
Parsley stems go well with most vegetables and fruits. Keeping the bitter taste in mind is important when dosing – but it’s quite easy to counteract the bitter taste with sweet fruits.
Are Parsley Stems Good To Eat?
Finally, we’ve come to the concluding part of this article but before moving on we must take one last thing into consideration, and that’s the effects parsley stems can have on your health. So, are parsley stems good to eat?
Parsley stems are nutritious, just like the rest of the plant. They’re a great source of the following vitamins and minerals. Here’s what you get from a cup of parsley – which equals about 30g.
- Vitamin A, K, and C (108%; 547%, and 53% of RDI)
- Folate (11% of RDI)
- Potassium (4% of RDI)