Make These 10 Cilantro-Heavy Recipes for the Herb Lover in Your Life

We love cilantro. Don't @ us.

Okay, you clicked on this story, so we will forego the usual discussion of how this wonderful herb is polarizing. You're here already, so you know the truth: Cilantro is delicious, and so many of our favorite dishes rely on its unique flavor. In most cases, cilantro is added as a last-minute accent. But in this collection, we highlight cilantro recipes that use the herb in ways (and quantities) that go beyond mere garnish.

Also, a heads-up for cilantro lovers: there are other cilantro-adjacent herbs you should know (if you don't already, of course). Culantro, also known as recao or sawtooth herb, stores better than cilantro and is less prone to bolting in the garden. Its flavor and potency are pretty similar to cilantro. Rau ram, or Vietnamese coriander, is also well-behaved in the garden and its flavor is stronger and more peppery than that of cilantro. In addition to using it as a simple garnishing herb for soups like bún bò Huê, try making our recipe for nem lụi Huế. Finally, there is papalo, a positively dank, powerfully flavored herb used in Pueblan cuisine. Should a cilantro hater encounter papalo, the experience would probably scar them for life. We enjoy it as a garnish for frijoles charros, but it's most famous for giving cemitas sandwiches their characteristic flavor.

West Lake Soup

This comforting soup is loaded with a last-minute handful of chopped cilantro, which gives a lovely flavor to the savory, lightly thickened broth, loaded with wispy threads of egg whites and tender bits of ground pork (or beef).

Get Recipe: West Lake Soup Recipe

Lao Hu Cai (Tiger Salad), à la Xi'an Famous Foods

Savory, refreshing, and tart, this dish is inspired by the lao hu cai, or "tiger vegetable salad," served at Xi'an Famous Foods. Cilantro graduates from seasoning to green status in this salad, where it's paired with celery, scallions, cilantro, a simple rice vinegar-soy dressing, and a sprinkle of dried baby shrimp.

Get Recipe: Lao Hu Cai (Tiger Salad), à la Xi'an Famous Foods

Egyptian Bissara (Split Fava Bean Dip)

Here, fava beans are blended with two packed cups of cilantro and a bit of parsley, mint, and dill for a creamy, vibrant green dip. Crispy fried shallots are added to the top—and some of the shallot-infused oil also flavors the dip.

Get Recipe: Egyptian Bissara (Split Fava Bean Dip)

Zhug (Yemenite Hot Sauce With Cilantro and Parsley)

Zhug is a fresh, bright Middle Eastern hot sauce akin to chimichurri, chermoula, and salsa verde. Our zhug calls for both cilantro as well as parsley, but cilantro really carries the day here. The bright camphor notes from the green cardamom are delightful and accentuate the cilantro flavor. Our favorite application for zhug? Probably slathered on sabich sandwiches, or with falafel, along with tahini sauce. A dollop swirled into a bowl of hummus is also quite lovely.

Get Recipe: Zhug (Yemenite Hot Sauce With Cilantro and Parsley)

Thai-Style Shrimp Cakes With Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

These spicy cakes are a luminous green, thanks to the jalapeño, scallions, lime zest, and a large handful of cilantro that gets pulsed together with the shrimp in a food processor. We suggest serving them as an app, either on their own or sandwiched in slider buns with pickles, mayo, and sweet chile sauce.

Get Recipe: Thai-Style Shrimp Cakes With Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Ají Amarillo (Green Peruvian Dipping Sauce)

Inspired by the green sauce that accompanies pollo a la brasa at Pio Pio, this spicy, creamy, cilantro-heavy elixir is the perfect condiment for Peruvian grilled chicken (pictured above), salchipapa, roasted potatoes, and much more.

Get Recipe: Aji Amarillo (Green Peruvian Dipping Sauce)

Grilled Lemongrass- and Coriander-Marinated Vegan Tofu Banh Mi

Banh mi is a sandwich genre for cilantro lovers, and this recipe gets three doses of our favorite herb. Slabs of tofu get a double coat of cilantro-heavy marinade before getting sandwiched with thinly sliced jalapeño, cucumber, carrot-daikon pickles, ginger-scallion oil, and more cilantro.

Get Recipe: Grilled Lemongrass- and Coriander-Marinated Vegan Tofu Banh Mi

Cilantro Fritters (Kothimbir Wadi)

These uniquely delicious morsels are made by adding lots of cilantro to a spiced chickpea flour batter. The batter is then microwaved or steamed in a pan. This tender, aromatic cake is then cut into pieces and briefly pan-fried until crisp.

Get Recipe: Cilantro Fritters (Kothimbir Wadi)

Açorda à Alentejana (Portuguese Garlic and Cilantro Bread Soup)

This deeply satisfying soup (it's really more like a porridge) is rich with cilantro, along with garlic, olive oil, chorizo, and a softly poached egg.

Get Recipe: Açorda à Alentejana (Portuguese Garlic and Cilantro Bread Soup)

Mole Verde

This bright, cilantro-forward mole has a wonderfully complex flavor thanks to epazote, romaine lettuce, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Get Recipe: Mole Verde

Read the original article on Serious Eats.