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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?

lazulikid
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2 Answers2

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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.

Lorel C.
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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.

rackandboneman
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