3 Easy Recipes to Ensure Cilantro Never Goes to Waste Again

Guest post by Betsy Freeman

Product designer by day, illustrator, and recipe developer by night, Betsy Freeman publishes the

B.Free Creative

newsletter, a follow-up to her recently published cookbook One & Done.

I (Anne-Marie here) couldn’t find stats for the amount of herbs that go to waste every year but I imagine those stats would be quite high. You may need only a couple of tablespoons of minced cilantro, for example, yet must buy an entire bunch. Betsy’s three tasty recipes will help you enjoy that entire bunch.

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I used to hold my breath every time I bought fresh herbs as I could already see them dying in the back of the fridge. Enough with that.

Let’s start with cilantro (more coming soon! Stay tuned at

B.Free Creative

.) 

Try sprinkling chopped cilantro into cooked rice for a flavorful side dish or base. Another quick idea? Make a simple creamy cilantro dressing sauce that enhances salads, wraps, bowls… you name it.

And then if you’re aiming to blaze through a full bunch of cilantro, scroll down to the bottom for one of my all-time favorite soup recipes—a Persian Inspired Beans and Greens Recipe that is equally nourishing as it is refreshing.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

Ingredients:

• Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions:

Stir the lime juice, optional olive oil, and chopped cilantro into warm cooked rice. Salt to taste and serve with stewed beans, roasted vegetables or other favorite latin dishes.

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Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

• Juice of one lime (about 1 tablespoon)

• Zest of 1 lime

• ½ cup packed fresh cilantro, very finely chopped

• 1-3 tablespoons water

• Salt to taste 

Instructions:

Measure and whisk together ingredients in a small bowl, adding water gradually until you achieve desired consistency. Use on salads, grain bowls, or wraps.

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Persian-Inspired Beans and Greens Soup

Prep to table: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 to 6

This soup was lightly inspired by ash reshteh, a Persian soup made with white beans, greens, and noodles. The original is delicious but making it can be a production. So I’ve cut out a couple of steps, like chilling the beans and herbs a day ahead of time. I also removed the pasta to make it more soup than stew. The result is a hearty but not heavy, easy-to-assemble dinner. Top it off with a dollop of cooling yogurt and freshly chopped chives.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves 

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• 1 can (15-ounce) any white bean, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

• 1 teaspoon dried dill

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach 

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Serving suggestion

• Chopped fresh chives 

• Chopped roasted hazelnuts

• Plain Greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Sauté the olive oil and onion in a large soup pot over medium heat until the onion is fragrant and soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, and salt and sauté for 1 more minute.

2. Stir in the white beans, lentils, dill, and vegetable broth, making sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the cilantro, spinach, and cayenne pepper and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. 

4. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh chives and chopped hazelnuts, and a generous dollop of plain yogurt.

Easy ingredient swaps

• Swiss chard, arugula, collard greens, or kale for the spinach 

• Any roasted nuts for the hazelnuts

Original recipe taken from The One & Done Cookbook: 87+ Plant-Based Dinners For Easy Weeknight Cooking

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Anne-Marie’s May events

• May 13th, 11am PT: Tiburon, CA. Belvedere Tiburon Library in-person author talk. Go here to register.

• May 27th, 9am PT: Free online sourdough starter workshop. Register here.