The Versatile Herb That Can Star In All Your Fall Dishes

Rosemary, thyme, sage — we love you all. These common woody herbs tend to add a deep fragrance to any fall recipe, be it butternut squash soup or slow-cooked pot roast. But one of the best options to familiarize yourself with this fall happens to be one of the most classic — and overlooked — herbs. We're talking parsley.

Over the years, parsley has gained a somewhat unfair reputation as a green sprig solely used to decorate finished dishes. But it's so much more than that. Used generously, the tender herb adds a proper punch to tabbouleh, brightness to salsa verde and a layer of freshness to meat and poultry. As it cooks, parsley's flavor becomes more mellow, making it a versatile aromatic for soups, sauces, and skillet meals. In some cuisines, particularly Persian, bunches of parsley are cooked down to bring a complex greenness to autumnal stews. Whether you leave it raw or cook it down, keep plenty of this herb on hand for all your colder-weather recipes.

One huge benefit to using parsley? It's insanely good for you, packing good supplies of vitamins A, K and C. To reap some of those benefits and add herby flavor to your fall menu, try cooking parsley as an aromatic in your next soup.

Add some substantial handfuls of Italian parsley leaves (leaving out the tough stems) toward the beginning stage of your broth-making process, along with your usual aromatics, like garlic, celery and carrot. By the time your soup is ready to serve, the parsley will be tender enough to eat and made mellow by hours of cooking, its flavor infused throughout the dish. Try the method in your next batch of blended carrot and ginger soup or chickpea-orzo soup for added nutrition, brightness and nuance.

On the other side of the coin, sprinkling uncooked parsley into a fall recipe can provide some necessary freshness to what might otherwise be a solely rich dish. We love a braised short rib recipe, seasoned with cinnamon and red wine, particularly as nighttime temperatures drift from pleasantly cool to borderline wintry. But an ample helping of roughly chopped parsley leaves will balance out the rich heartiness of the indulgent meaty dish.

Try a similar approach with a pot of brothy beans, a slow-cooked chicken and sausage cassoulet, or a seasonal pumpkin risotto. We're not trying to transform everything into a salad, per se, but rather aim for a dish that feels well-balanced and just herby enough as you head into fall.