The Absolute Best Swaps For Coriander

Coriander is a beguiling, versatile, and controversial plant. It's comprised of two main parts: the leaves and the seeds. Both are used in cooking, but the leaves are most often served fresh as a garnish or mixed into salsas and guacamole. Coriander leaves are called cilantro in America, which is why you may not associate coriander with the fresh, green (and, to some, soapy-tasting) herb. When Americans refer to coriander, they're usually talking about the seeds. Coriander seeds (and coriander powder) have an earthy, complex flavor that tastes nothing like cilantro. Coriander does maintain come of cilantro's citrus bite, but it has more depth and, when it's toasted, can even have a floral flavor profile. Coriander is most often used in curries, rice-based dishes, stews, soups, and spice blends. (It has even made its way into a spice cake or two.) But what if you're making a recipe that calls for coriander and you find yourself a seed (or shaker) short?

There are many reasons why you may find yourself unable to use coriander. Whether you're allergic, just dislike its flavor, or are simply out of the spice altogether, you don't have to pass up on an entire recipe just because you lack this one ingredient. Though there's no way of recreating coriander's exact likeness in a dish, there are a few seasonings and blends out there that can fill its slot, like caraway, fennel, and cumin. Let's dive into some of the best candidates.

Let's start with perhaps the strongest contender. Caraway is a spice that's related to other spices such as fennel, as well as to the ever-versatile root veggie, the carrot. Caraway has a licorice tinge to its flavor, similar to fennel seeds. It also has a touch of sweetness and warmth, plus a peppery taste that shares similarities with coriander's own citrus edge. For this reason, caraway makes a wonderful substitute for coriander, particularly in savory dishes. However, caraway tends to have a stronger taste than coriander, so it's best to use only a little and adjust the dish according to your own tastes rather than subbing caraway in for the exact amount of coriander needed.

If you don't care for caraway, or if you don't have any on hand, you can also use fennel as a coriander swap. It has a more intense licorice taste than caraway and a bright flavor that tastes somewhat like coriander. Fennel is best reserved for recipes that require the whole coriander seed rather than coriander powder.

Now, let's explore cooking with cumin as a coriander swap. The two spices are often paired together, which is part of what makes cumin such a great coriander substitute. Cumin has a warm, punchy taste that makes it a great base for spice blends. It's also, of course, a great choice for recipes that already call for cumin. Simply double your cumin and omit the coriander. Worth noting, however, is that you should properly cook cumin to help its flavor fully bloom.

Since coriander has a rather complex flavor profile, you might want to swap it out with a blend of several ingredients rather than just once simple spice. As such, one of the best substitutes for coriander is curry powder. This blend is made from a mix of several herbs and spices, including turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. It can also include other ingredients such as cinnamon and — you guessed it — even coriander. So, if you're avoiding coriander due to allergies (or just your personal taste), make sure to check the curry powder's list of ingredients before purchasing. Also, make sure your curry powder doesn't duplicate any other seasonings present in your recipe so the flavors remain balanced. This swap works best in savory dishes such as curries and stews.

Now, curry powder won't be able to fully replicate the taste of coriander; it will only add spice, earthiness, and warmth that, together, somewhat match coriander's profile. You can, however, use other ingredients to make up for curry powder's deficits. Though curry powder won't add any citrus taste to your dish, there are ways of bringing out a similar flavor. Try squeezing either lemon or lime juice into you dish, or sprinkling in some lime zest. The oils in lime zest mimic both the bright citrus taste and floral aspects of coriander. So, if you're short on this spice, try one of these substitutes — or several in tandem — for yourself.