I adore lemongrass. Not only is it a beautiful plant that you can easily grow, all the parts of the leaves and the stems are edible. You don’t have to be a gardener to enjoy this lemony aromatic plant. Simply buy lemongrass at your local grocery store or Asian market. So, here is how you cook with lemongrass along with 16 lemongrass recipes to get you started.
How to Cook with Lemongrass
Watch the video below on how to cut the lemongrass. Cut about 2 inches off the bottom and only used the next 5 inches.
When cooking with lemongrass, you either crush it to release its oils or mince it depending on the type of dish you are cooking. Fine Cooking explains as follows:
“To infuse teas, broths, soups, and braising liquids, trim off the spiky tops and the bases, crush the stalks with the side of a knife to release their aromatic oils, and then cut them into 1- or 2-inch pieces. Remove the pieces before eating (they tend to be woody) or eat around them.
To use lemongrass in marinades, stir-fries, salads, spice rubs, and curry pastes, trim the top and base of the stalks—you want to use only the bottom 4 inches or so. Then peel off any dry or tough outer layers before finely chopping or mincing. Lemongrass holds up to long cooking and gains intensity the longer it’s cooked. If you’d like a strong lemongrass flavor, add minced lemongrass at the start of cooking, browning it along with the other aromatics. For a lighter, fresher lemongrass flavor, add it near the end of cooking.”
Lemongrass Recipes
Even if you don’t grow it, lemongrass has a wonderful aromatic flavor and health benefits to boot. Lemongrass has anti-microbial and antioxidant properties.
As I mentioned above, you can easily purchase fresh lemongrass from the grocery store or Asian markets. Listed below are some recipes to start you on the path to using this lemony herb:
- Authentic Tom Kha Gai Recipe (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)–Small Footprint Family
- Lemongrass, Ginger, Black Pepper, and Turmeric Tea–Loveurbelly
- Vietnamese Lemongrass, Ginger and Turmeric Chicken–Loveurbelly
- Simple Tom Yum Soup–Fearless Eating
- Tom Kha Kai Thai Coconut Milk Soup–Real Food Whole Health
- Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Ribs–Loveurbelly
- Nourishing GAPS Diet Soup with a *Secret* Ingredient …with optional Instant Pot Directions & Bone Broth {this recipe is also Paleo/AIP-compliant}–Eat Beautiful
- Savory Pumpkin in Thai Red Coconut Curry – Paleo, Gluten Free and Sugar Free–myPALeos
- Lemongrass and Kaffir lime Chicken Wings–Loveurbelly
- Instant Pot Thai Chicken–Recipes to Nourish (Photo pictured above.) I made this and it is delicious!
- Lemongrass, Ginger and Coconut Panna–Loveurbelly
- Master Tonic–Recipes to Nourish
- Lemongrass and Citrus Poached Salmon–AllRecipes
- Aromatic Shrimp and Noodle Medicine Soup-bon appetit
- Addictive Fresh Lemongrass Tea–The Wanderlust Kitchen
- Slow cooker Lemongrass and Coconut Chicken–Nom Nom Paleo
So why not add a little lemongrass to your cuisine?
(Remember, if you want to take a stab at growing it yourself, read HERE.)
Join the Conversation:
Do you cook with lemongrass? If so, do you have any lemongrass recipes to share?
Leave a Reply