Coriander vs. Parsley: Seed Spice, Leaf Herb, Same Plant Family

One is a hard, dry seed that goes in early with the other spices. The other is a tender leaf that goes in at the end, or raw. Coriander seed and parsley are relatives in the carrot or parsley family, Apiaceae, but in the kitchen they do different jobs. Coriander seed’s oil is mostly linalool,¹ and it works as a warm background spice. Parsley has very little oil and brings green, fresh flavor and color.

Watch the word “coriander,” though. It names a whole plant, Coriandrum sativum, which gives cooks both an herb and a spice, and “cilantro,” the word for the leaves, is North American English. So in a British recipe “coriander” may mean the leaves, while an American recipe usually says “cilantro” for those and “coriander” for the seed. Here, coriander seed goes up against parsley. For the leaf against parsley, see cilantro vs. parsley.

Side by side

The oil rows describe different plant parts measured different ways (seed by weight, fresh leaf by weight), so they don’t compare strength. They do show that the two plants smell of different compounds.

The differences that change a dish

A seed and a leaf

The biggest practical difference is the part of the plant. Coriander seed is a hard, dry fruit that keeps well: PROSEA says whole dried fruits keep their oil for several years without loss.⁵ Parsley is a tender leaf. LSU AgCenter lists it among the delicate herbs best added in the last minute or two of cooking, since long heat costs them flavor and aroma.⁷ So coriander usually goes in early with the other dry spices, and parsley goes in at the end or raw.

Flat-leaf or curly

PROSEA describes three parsley groups: curly-leaved, flat-leaved and turnip-rooted. Flat-leaved parsley has the stronger flavor, and the fresh leaves of curly cultivars are commonly used for garnishing and seasoning.⁴ That backs up the usual advice: flat-leaf where flavor matters, curly where looks matter most. See Italian parsley vs. curly parsley.

Where each one belongs

• Coriander seed. PROSEA says the fruits go into a large number of dishes and that curry powder can contain up to 40% coriander.⁵ The seeds go whole or ground into cookies, baked goods, soups, casseroles and sausages, and Arabic cooking uses both the leaves and the seeds in pickles, curries and chutneys. Cooks put it in barbecue rubs too, though no source we found documents that.
• Parsley. Parsley is popular with fish, meats, soups, sauces and salads. Flat-leaf parsley leads in chimichurri, gremolata and tabbouleh, and curly parsley is the classic plate garnish.

Safety

Parsley is on MedlinePlus’s list of vitamin K foods for people taking warfarin. The advice isn’t to avoid it but to keep the amount steady from day to day.⁶ Britannica warns that parsley seed oil, or large amounts of other parsley preparations, can cause dangerous reactions.³ That’s about concentrated products, not parsley used as an herb. We found no regulator concern about coriander seed at food amounts.

Can one stand in for the other?

Not really. They’re different parts of different plants doing different jobs.

• Coriander seed in place of parsley. A dry, warm spice won’t give you a fresh green finish. If you’re out of parsley, reach for another fresh herb; see parsley substitutes.
• Parsley in place of coriander seed. Parsley won’t supply coriander’s warm, linalool-led aroma.¹ Other seeds, like cumin or caraway, are better bets. They’re covered on coriander substitutes.
• If the recipe meant the leaf. Cilantro and flat-leaf parsley do overlap as garnishes. Our cilantro vs. parsley page gives starting points: flat-leaf parsley at the same amount in place of cilantro, and cilantro at about half the amount in place of parsley.

Ratio (Computed): if you grind coriander yourself, McCormick gives 1 teaspoon of seeds as equal to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground, by volume.⁸

What isn’t known

• No sensory study compares coriander seed with parsley, so any description beyond the cited ones is our own.
• The oil figures come from different references and plant parts, so they can’t be lined up as a strength comparison.

Related

• Coriander and parsley, the full profiles
• Coriander substitutes and parsley substitutes
• Cilantro vs. parsley and coriander vs. cilantro
• Italian parsley vs. curly parsley, fresh parsley vs. dried
• Coriander vs. cumin, chervil vs. parsley, oregano vs. parsley
• Cooking with coriander, too much coriander, too much parsley