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I often buy cilantro from Trader Joe's in a big bunch. I love using the leaves, especially in Indian cooking, but always end up tossing out the stems, which make up half the bunch. Is there something I can do with them that I'm unaware of?

marked as duplicate by Catija, moscafj, Erica, GdD, Cascabel Feb 7 '18 at 20:19


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    "What can I do with" questions are off topic for seasoned advice, simply because they result is long lists of personal favorites. – moscafj Feb 7 '18 at 18:35
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    "Are they edible?" or "can I use them like the leaves?" or something in that vein would be a fine question; it's just the broad "what can I do with?" that's iffy. That said, we've had a very similar question to that in the past. So for now, I'm marking as a duplicate of that one. If there's something you're interested in besides a long list of uses/dishes/recipes that isn't covered by that question, please feel free to edit and flag for reopening, or even ask a new question. – Cascabel Feb 7 '18 at 20:19

The stems are edible too. They look nicer in the food though if you chop them up a little, instead of leaving the long stems intact.

If you are in the habit of making any kind of brothy soup (chicken or other) you can dump a bunch of whole cilantro stems in and then remove after they have imparted their flavor contribution.


The stems are commonly recommended as a substitution for cilantro root, which is commonly used (in small quantities, since it is a rather potent aromatic) in thai cuisine.
