Parsley is used in savory dishes. It is commonly added to soups, stews, casseroles and salads. Most commonly, parsley goes with a potato dish. Parsley is more than a pretty garnish, it is a tasty and healthy herb.

Parsley is a bright green herb. It is a common plant that is in many people's gardens. Not only is it useful in the kitchen, it is also instrumental in the garden. It is often grown alongside tomato plants for protection. Parsley is an umbellifer meaning that it attracts various predatory insects.

 

 

There are many varieties of parsley. The two main varieties are Italian also called flat-leaf and curly leaf. The curly variety is used more often as a garish. Flat-leaf parsley is much more popular. Parsley is used in American, Middle Eastern and European cooking. Only the leaf is used. The stem is very tough and woody. Both the fresh and the dried varieties of parsley are available.

 

 

In Middle Eastern cuisine, it is used as a garnish for hummus and tahini. It is used in soups, vegetable dishes and salads. Parsley is a key ingredient in talbouleh (sometimes spelled tabouli). The base of this salad is sometimes couscous but more traditionally bulghur (cracked wheat). Tomatoes and onions are used. Lots of parsley is added to it. The salad is green because so much parsley is used. It is seasoned with various ingredients such as lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cinnamon and cumin.

 

 

Falafel is another authentic Middle Eastern food that uses a lot of parsley. Falafel balls use parsley as one of the main flavoring agents. As well, a typical Israeli-style falafel sandwich uses a lettuce salad but a Lebanese-style falafel sandwhich often uses parsely instead of letuce in the pita. The salad is parsley and tomatoes only. There is usually much more parsley than tomatoes.

 

 

Another nice Arab style salad uses both red and green cabbage, roughly chopped. Cucumber is finely chopped and added. Shredded carrots are also incorporated. A can of chickpeas may be thrown it. Fresh parsley and mint are used to flavor this salad along with olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice and cinnamon. This salad is hearty and filling. It can easily act as a main course. If you want to keep a Middle Eastern theme, serve lentil soup as the starter course and garnish it with a sprig of parsley.

 

 

In European cooking, parsley is often used in potato dishes. It is commonly used in mashed potatoes. Hungarian potato dishes are almost always made with parsley. Parsley is often used with chicken. Some tasty combinations with roasted chicken include parsley, lemon and garlic. Goats cheese, roasted garlic and parsley. Green peppers, tomato and parsley. It is often used in tuna fish salad and various bean salads. Greek-style pea soup often combines parsley and mint. Parsley and mint are a fairly common herb combination. Parsley also goes well with feta cheese. It is frequently used in lamb dishes with vegetables such as carrots and fennel. Sometimes, it is used in eggplant moussaka along with tomatoes, meat and a cream sauce. Lemon and parsley sauce is a favorite on poultry, fish and cooked vegetables.

 

 

In American-style food, parsley is occasionally used in herbed butter and cream cheese. Dried parsley also works well in savory baked goods such as herb and garlic biscuits or scones. Both the dried and fresh varieties of parsley are frequently used in dips such as blue cheese and parsley.

 

 

Fresh parsley is commonly added to pasta salad, marinated mushrooms, antipasto, stews, rice, soups, casseroles, omelets, mussels, chutney, tomato-based pasta sauce, beef and chicken dishes. Sometimes parsley is used in pesto with feta cheese. It can also be used in a sun-dried tomato pesto. Occasionally, parsley is used in salsas. Often fresh parsley is roughly chopped and added to a green salad.

 

 

Parsley is chewed for sweet breath. It should not be consumed by pregnant women because it may induce early labor. This herb contains vitamins A, B and C as well as beta-carotene. Because it is high in folic acid, it is terrific for your heart. It is also helpful against rheumatoid arthritis because it protects from inflammatory polyarthritis. In studies with animals, it has even been shown to inhibit tumors.

 

 

It is also terrific for neutralizing the body with respect to its carcinogen intake. For example, cigarette smokers have high quantities of benzopyrenes in their bodies. Parsley may help neutralize these toxins. Parsley is also high in antioxidants which helps prevent damage to cells caused by oxygen free radicals.