Ideas for using culantro in vegetarian cooking

Question

Looking for suggestions how to use culantro (not a typo, it is a different plant than cilantro) in vegetarian dishes. I bought it at a nursery this spring and it is almost blooming, I did not use any of it yet. The few recipes out there are South American, Caribbean or Asian meat dishes and I would like to use it in my mainly vegetarian cooking.

HalfPint · Answer

I love culantro with my pho. Just rip the fresh leaves into the steaming bowls of broth.

Nadia H. · Answer

I will, thanks!

AntoniaJames · Answer

Culantro has a much stronger flavor than cilantro, so it's almost always used cooked, and not as a fresh garnish. Use it in braised bean dishes, especially those with Caribbean or Central American flavors, or in marinades for tofu that you will be cooking (ones that call for cilantro). Given how pungent it is, I'd experiment with it on a small scale, as it is likely to be even more of a "divider" ingredient (people either like it or cannot stand it) than cilantro.

Let us know what you do with it, please, and how it turns out! Thanks. ;o)

Ideas for using culantro in vegetarian cooking

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