7 Flavorful Chervil (French Parsley) Substitutes

Chervil has a taste that is similar to parsley and tarragon, although it is more mild, with undertones of anise or licorice. Because of its delicate taste, chervil is often used to flavor soups and salads.

It’s a popular herb for enhancing the taste of your omelet. It is frequently used at the very end of cooking since its taste is lost over lengthy cooking.

If you don’t have chervil on hand, try the following substitutes:

1. Parsley
2. Fennel
3. Tarragon
4. Dill
5. Cicely
6. Chives
7. Dried Chervil

Continue reading to learn more about how you may use these alternatives in your recipes.

Quick Fact

Chervil is a parsley family member that is often used in French cuisine. It is often called the French parsley as its leaves look a little like parsley, only a lighter shade of green.

7 Best Chervil Substitutes

Chervil gets its name from the Greek word chaerophyllon, which means “herb rejoicing.” In fact, it’s known as the “happy herb” in Greece.

It has curled and delicate leaves that are similar to carrot leaves but paler. Chervil bunches with blooms should be avoided since they have become bitter.[Source]

Unlike parsley, chervil is difficult to locate in most supermarkets and grocery shops, with the exception of specialist retailers. Chervil is a spring plant that may be prolific at various periods depending on the conditions.

Chervil is available in colder areas from spring through summer. Chervil, on the other hand, becomes accessible in warmer climes at the end of winter or at the start of spring.

To obtain the finest flavor, use tarragon, parsley, or a mix of the two.

You may also try the other choices listed below.

Parsley

For obvious reasons, parsley is first on the list since it is chervil’s relative. Because parsley is more widely accessible and chervil is less well-known, it is more usually used in cooking than chervil.

Parsley is a versatile herb that may be used in a variety of ways; however, it is most often used as a garnish for soups and casseroles.

It is simpler to store parsley since you simply need to place it in paper bags, remove as much air as possible, and place it in the freezer. This preserved parsley is often used to improve the taste of mashed potatoes.

Another approach for preserving parsley is to make a thick purée out of chopped leaves and olive oil or water.

The parsley puree is then placed onto an ice tray and frozen. After that, place the cubed parsley puree in a sealed plastic bag and place it in the freezer.

Dried parsley has a milder flavor that is similar to chervil but without the anise flavor. 1 teaspoon parsley to 1 teaspoon chervil is the optimal ratio. To keep its brilliant green color, parsley is best added to a cooked meal.

Here is a recipe you can try:

Parsley Pesto

• For the greatest fresh and vibrant taste, use fresh parsley in this recipe. Then, using a blender or food processor, mix with the olive oil and garlic.
• To enhance the mild taste, add a few drops of lemon juice.
• This goes well with pasta or a chicken pesto dinner.

Fennel

Fennel is often used with pigs and sausages in Italian and French recipes, and with shellfish in English dishes. It tastes like fresh anise. Fennel leaves may be consumed raw, roasted, or sautéed.

You can add fennel to salads, soups, and roasts.

The optimal proportion is 1 tablespoon fennel leaves to 1 tablespoon chervil.

Ideas for fennel as chervil substitute:

• Fennel and Campari may be used to form a digestive aid cocktail.
• To increase the taste of your risotto, add fresh fennel.
• Season your pasta salad with finely chopped fennel, dried basil, fresh spring onions, and oregano.
• Fresh fennel adds flavor to vegetable broths and seafood dishes.

Make this popular German chervil dish using fennel:

• Fennel stalks and stems should be simmered in a pot until soft.
• With thick cream and egg yolks, puree some stalks and leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the smooth puree to the broth.
• Best served hot.

Here is a recipe idea for fennel salad:

• Use a mandoline to make paper-thin fennel slices.
• Mix in a few drops of lemon juice with the fennel segments.
• Cucumbers should be used to enhance the crispness of the freshly sliced fennel.
• To give your salad a tangy taste, add feta cheese.
• If you want to amp up the taste, toss in some sliced peaches.
• Serve pesto sauce on the side to add an unusual and distinct texture to your salad.

Tarragon

Fresh tarragon is an excellent substitution for chervil in your favorite meals. It has a moderate and bittersweet taste with a licorice undertone. It is often used to season chicken and fish meals.

Tarragon adds an anise taste to foods, but it may overshadow other flavors; so, the best ratio is one tablespoon fresh tarragon to one tablespoon chervil.

Tarragon is usually found at speciality shops.

You may use tarragon for chervil in the following recipes:

Chicken with Tarragon

• You may marinade the chicken fillet in a sauce made of dried tarragon, cream, and white wine.
• Add tarragon to sauces with a thicker consistency to get the most out of it.

Tarragon Soup

• Tarragon soup is similar to chervil soup in flavor, but creamier.
• To intensify the strong taste of the tarragon in your soup, add a few drops of lemon juice.

Other ideas:

• Tarragon may be used to improve the taste of white wine vinegar. This combination has a six-month shelf life.
• Add freshly chopped tarragon to a butter-based sauce known as Bearnaise sauce to make it more delicious.
• To create a tasty salad dressing, combine dried tarragon with olive oil and other herbs.

Dill

Dill is a fantastic alternative for chervil since it has a little anise undertone taste that complements any recipe. It may be used to enhance the tastes of soups, sauces, and potatoes.

Take note that dill is often used as a garnish since it loses taste when cooked. Remember that the longer you cook it, the blander the flavor gets. Dill leaves are best added after your meals have finished cooking.

Dill seeds are more delicious than dill plant, thus chefs prefer to utilize them. Unlike dill weed, the seeds improve in taste as they cook.

The optimal proportion is 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed to 1 tablespoon chervil.

You can try the following:

Ranch Dressing

• When making a great ranch dressing, dill is an excellent substitute for chervil.
• Combine mayonnaise, milk, and sour cream with dill weed. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is creamy.
• You may also season with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, chives, and pepper.
• Add a few drops of lemon juice to the mixture to bring out the strong taste of the dill.

Dill Omelet

• Add dill weed to your omelet to make it more tasty.
• Whisk three medium eggs, then add milk and anything else you like to your omelet (for example, ground pork, ham, or bacon pieces, dropped veggies, and onions).
• You may add dill while making the filling or after the omelet is cooked.
• Make sure both sides of the omelet are done.

Grilled Salmon with Dill

• Because their strong pungent taste overpowers the fishy flavor, dill seeds are best employed in fish recipes.
• Grilled salmon pairs nicely with a dill sauce. Combine dill seeds, mayonnaise, butter, and a few drops of lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Adjust the dimensions to suit your tastes.

Cicely

The cicely plant is less well-known than other herbs on the market. Cicely is sweet with a trace of anise taste, which makes it popular in sweets, baked goods, and candy flavoring.

Because of its sweet taste character, it should be used with caution as a replacement for chervil, especially in savory recipes.

Use about 1 tablespoon fresh cicely for 1 tablespoon chervil, then adjust to taste.

Cicely is not often found in local grocery shops or supermarkets, however it may be accessible at specialist stores.

Serving suggestions:

• Many pastry chefs use cicely in cheesecake and cream frosting recipes because of its sweet taste. To give them a tangy flavor, they add a few drops of lemon and a sprinkle of salt.
• Add cicely and caramelized apples to your apple pie crumble to make it more tasty.
• Cicely will enhance the tastes of your fruit jams and jellies.

Cicely may still be used in savory dishes:

Tempura Batter with Cicely

• In a mixing dish, combine flour and finely cut cicely leaves.
• In another bowl, beat one medium egg.
• Pour 1 cup of ice-cold water into the egg bowl.
• Whisk the flour and cicely leaves combination into the bowl with the water and egg until fully combined.
• You may now cover meat, shrimp, or veggies in this batter and cook until crispy.

Asparagus Salad with Egg

• Boil one large egg, peel it, and cut it in half. Set it aside to cool.
• Combine chopped asparagus and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a mixing basin.
• Add a pinch of salt to taste.
• Incorporate fresh and dried cicely leaves into the mixture.
• Add the egg before serving the salad.

Chives

Although chives are not usually used as a replacement for chervil, some chefs prefer them. For starters, they are readily accessible at your local market and grocery store.

However, since chives and chervil have distinct taste qualities, you cannot use chives alone. When chervil herb is not widely accessible, chefs propose combining chives with thyme and hyssop.

The taste profile of these three spices is comparable to that of chervil.

They should be coarsely chopped or blended before used as a chervil replacement in soups. If using 1 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon thyme and hyssop should also be used.

Dried Chervil

Fresh chervil may be substituted for dried chervil since the tastes are comparable. However, keep in mind that dried chervil may have lost most of its flavor throughout the drying process.

Dried chervil works well in slow-cooked dishes. Allow ample time for the taste to permeate your food.