Parsley: Up your plant points

Health Benefits

Adding fresh herbs like parsley to your meals could:

• Support your gut microbiota by exhibiting a ‘prebiotic’ effect.
• Add variety to your diet by adding ¼ plant point to your week.
• Lower cancer risk by increasing your intake of flavones, which are linked to a decreased risk of breast cancer, especially among post-menopausal women.
• Reduce your use of salt by adding flavour to a dish.

It’s a source of:

• Polyphenols, especially furanocoumarins and the flavone apigenin – of which parsley is one of the highest sources. They show promising benefits in the lab for regulating inflammation and boosting antioxidant defences.
• Vitamins C, A and K
• Fibre

Earth to Plate

Traditional uses: Parsley is a hardy herb of the carrot family, native to the Mediterranean region. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine. According to the 1633 edition of The Herball, it was used as a diuretic, to regulate menstrual flow, help the passage of kidney stones and improve digestion.

Rock Celery! Parsley got its generic name Petroselinum from Dioscorides, a Greek Physician of the early Roman Empire. It comes from the Greek words, “petra”, meaning rock and “selinin” meaning celery.

Charlemagne’s Favourite: Parsley took Europe by storm during the Middle Ages. It was commonly grown in monasteries and royal gardens. Some historians credit Charlemagne with its popularisation as he made sure it was planted in all his estates.

Which type is best? You’ve got two main types to choose from – curly parsley adds a decorative touch with a mild taste, while flat-leaf parsley brings a more robust flavour. It’s also relatively easy to grow at home! Check out this guide to get you started.

Parsley season: It runs from late spring to early autumn, giving you lots of time to enjoy it! But research suggests that parsley harvested in autumn is packed with more polyphenols and pigments (β-carotene) than in spring most likely due to environmental changes.

How to enjoy

Parsley around the world

• France: Persillade and bouquet garni.
• Middle East: Tabbouleh and falafel.
• Italy: Gremolata, used as a topping for hearty meat dishes.
• Argentina & Uruguay: Chimichurri, a parsley sauce used to baste meats.
• Senegal: Rof, a bright assertive paste with parsley, garlic, scallions and scotch bonnets. It’s sprinkled over almost anything or used as a stuffing for fish.

We love to use it in generous amounts, not just as a finishing sprinkle on top. I can form the backbone of many recipes, such as:

1. Sauces – Vibrant Italian pesto, tangy Argentinian Chimichurri or earthy French Persillade.
2. Salads – Middle Eastern tabbouleh or mixed into your favourite salad.
3. Drinks in a green smoothie or relaxing herbal tea.

Top tip: Reduce waste by freezing chopped parsley with olive oil in ice cube trays.

Recipes

• Chickpea stew with Almond Picada
• Nourishing Green Gazpacho
• Curry Fried Eggs, Garlic Yoghurt and Kale with Dukkah and Herbs
• Persian-style Brown Lentils with Mixed Green Herbs

Dive Deeper

Human studies: Hui et al. PLoS One. 2013 – Vita et al. 2022 – Petersen et al. 2022

History, compounds & biological activities: Iowa University – University of California – ELH Tang et al. 2015. – Farzaei et al. J Tradit Chin Med. 2013 – Tang et al. J Sci Food Agric. 2015 – Sarwar et al. Int. J. Chem. Biochem. Sci. 2019