Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <culinary-uses><herbs><cilantro>
Title: What is a good use for lots of fresh cilantro?
Question: I have a few recipes I like to make which call for fresh cilantro, but when I buy it at the store it's usually in large bunches and I have a ton left over.  What's a good use for the leftovers?

Answers:
sents: text: I've found it freezes quite well
text: — I simply wash it, chop it roughly, and then freeze it in a small plastic bag.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/968/codeinthehole
score: 13
sents: text: Use it to make pesto, super easy and you can use the pesto when ever you need cilantro flavor in a dish.
text: You just need a food processor or even a blender, place the herbs inside and blend while slowly pouring oil into the mix.
text: I normally make mine two handfuls of herbs to a cup and half of oil
text: but you might need to play with the ratio to get a mix that tastes good to you.
text: I also try to use canola oil instead of olive as I find I don't always want to add those olive flavors to whatever Mexican dish I happen to be cooking.
text: The pesto also freezes great so it's great to bust out duing the winter.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/446/sarge_smith
score: 10
sents: text: Anything Thai.
text: There's a particularly fun Thai green curry that you make with fresh Cilantro (though I daresay we call it coriander over here), lots of garlic, some hot green peppers, and about 6 different spices.
text: I don't have the recipe on hand, but Google is your friend.
text: If you're making this, add the flesh of a fresh mango, it's incredible.
text: Anything middle-Eastern.
text: A taboule salad will do you good service in using up coriander leaves, though it takes spearmint and parsley too.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/611/Carmi
score: 9
sents: text: Cilantro lime rice!
text: I eat it on burritos, or by itself.
text: I'd link you a recipe, but I haven't made it in a while and can't remember how I do it.
text: It's basically: Rice Cilantro Lime Juice Salt Cilantro's also interesting in salads (like everything green).
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/152/Brendan Long
score: 7
sents: text: Chimichurri sauce:
text: Good on chicken, pork, shrimp, beef.
text: Usually about 3 cups of loosely packed leaves, a combination of cilantro, parsley, and basil.
text: Add garlic, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
text: Put it all in a food processor.
text: Cilantro is also great in homemade hummus!
text: Use lime juice instead of lemon, add some cayenne pepper if you like it spicy.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1769/Jenn
score: 3
sents: text: How about a chutney?
text: As far as Indian food in the US goes, one of the two common chutneys is a green one chock full of cilantro (the other is tamarind).
text: I've only made it once, and I can't remember the recipe, but googling for green chutney, cilantro chutney, or hari chutney results in quite a lot of hits.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1672/Cascabel
score: 2
sents: text: Recaito.
text: It's a sort of chutney/sauce of Hispanic origin that's (more or less)
text: a paste made from onion, peppers, oil, salt and lots of cilantro.
text: I've had it made with some lime in too.
text: It's used more as an ingredient (like for making green rice) than as a condiment, but I can vouch for it being kind of nice served over something like a nice hot grilled chicken breast.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3348/bikeboy389
score: 2
sents: text: Salsas Cilantro is a great ingredient in both red and green salsa.
text: While prime canning season is over in most of the northern hemisphere, you may be able to find quality versions of the rest of the ingredients for either fresh or cooked salsa.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1816/justkt
score: 2
sents: text: Guacamole.
text: I understand your frustration.
text: I like it fresh, but I don't use cilantro in large enough quantities to go through the smallest amount they are sold in at the local grocery store before it rots.
text: So I bought a jar of dried cilantro for the occasional times I want it.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/649/Tim Gilbert
score: 1
sents: text: You could try putting some clean, dry cilantro in a sealed container of oil, and letting it rest for a few weeks before straining.
text: I'm not sure about the shelf-life, but it's a great way to capture the flavor of an herb/spice to use for later.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1443/Ocaasi
score: 1
sents: text: It's a great additive to a cous-cous salad.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1148/Chris Cudmore
score: 1
sents: text: Umm... what isn't a good use for fresh cilantro?
text: Anything Mexican, anything Asian, or soups might be a good start.
text: My wife always uses it in her 'taco cassarole', stir-fry, and in black bean soup, for some examples.
text: But just give it a try.
text: As long as the dish isn't overly sweet, you can hardly go wrong with cilantro.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1386/Eric Wilson
score: 0
sents: text: I just made a macaroni salad and had some left over cilantro that I added it to and my family loved it!!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/18203/Bryanne
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Cilantro can be used in many ingredients, including together with rice and cous-cous or in Thai food. It can also be made into pesto and used in any dish requiring cilantro flavour. Cilantro also freezes well, or can be stored in a sealed container of oil.
Cilantro is a good addition to almost any dish. You can also try freezing it and using it in sauces and salsas.