Meatless Monday Roundup: 4 Cilantro Recipes

raita

Cilantro tends to be one of those ingredients that people either love or hate. Some think it tastes like soap. But those who love it are in for a treat this week! With summer on the horizon, all sorts of fresh, herby recipes are ripe for the making. Check out some of our favorite cilantro recipes for Meatless Monday.

Cilantro is also sometimes known as coriander, particularly in other English-speaking countries like the UK, Australia, and some parts of Canada. Whatever you call it, this bright green herb adds tons of flavor to whatever dish you have in mind. The stems of cilantro are much more tender than other herbs, which means that you can use the entirety of your cilantro. To top it all off, cilantro is an easy herb to grow at home, in a garden or in window boxes!

Start things off with an intriguing version of the classic Indian sauce (depicted above). This cucumber and cilantro raita is perfect for accompanying your favorite curries, but that’s not all! Try serving it with cooked brown rice and roasted vegetables for a very simple dinner that’s filling and healthy. Or mix it into cold cooked potatoes for a new spin on potato salad.

Image: Kimberley Stakal

Cilantro is a common herb in many Asian cuisines, and Thai cuisine is no exception. This raw Thai salad combines the flavors of pad Thai with the raw crunch of a variety of different vegetables. Cilantro adds a great freshness to the salad, which is spiced up with cilantro and ginger. Protein comes from peanut butter in the original recipe, which adds a pad Thai quality to the salad, but any nut butter can be substituted.

carrot cilantro salad

Image: Emily Monaco

This late winter salad calls for both cilantro and arugula as the base for roasted vegetables. While we’re moving quickly through spring and into summer, springtime baby arugula and new market carrots easily make this salad a seasonal option. Since parsnips won’t be available at local markets, try using multicolored carrots to get the same unique look. With California Haas avocados and a touch of feta cheese, this salad is full of richness and flavor.

guac
Credit: Photo by Lauren Lobley

Image: pickled plum

Perhaps one of the best known uses for cilantro is in Mexican food. This trifecta guacamole brings two other herbs to the party as well. Basil and parsley play up the flavors of cilantro perfectly, and the abundance of fresh herbs in the recipe are an excellent reminder of the produce that we can now take advantage of!

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Top image: Andrea Nguyen

Emily Monaco is a food and culture writer based in Paris. Her work has been featured in the Wall ... More about Emily Monaco
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