If you’ve found yourself with an abundance of fresh dill, you’re in luck! This aromatic herb is extremely versatile in the kitchen and can be used in a variety of dishes to add flavor. With a little creativity, you can use up that excess dill in no time.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to what you can do with too much fresh dill:
- Make dill dip or spread
- Add to egg, chicken, tuna, or potato salad
- Use in soups, stews, and chowders
- Mix into rice pilaf or risotto
- Blend into hummus or tzatziki
- Stir into pasta dishes and sauces
- Add to marinades and rubs for meat, fish, and veggies
- Garnish completed dishes
- Make dill butter or oil
- Infuse in vinegar
Dill Dip or Spread
One of the easiest ways to use up a lot of dill at once is to make a quick herb dip or spread. Blend fresh dill with Greek yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, or mayonnaise along with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can keep this simple or get creative by adding spices like cumin or curry powder. The possibilities are endless!
Dill dip is fantastic served with raw vegetables, pita chips, crackers, or bread. It also makes a great topping for baked potatoes, sandwiches, burgers, or fish. Try mixing in other fresh herbs like parsley, chives, basil, or cilantro for more flavor.
Greek Yogurt Dill Dip
This creamy, tangy dip takes just 5 minutes to make:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend. Garnish with extra dill if desired.
Salads
Fresh dill is a perfect addition to potato, egg, chicken, tuna, or pasta salad recipes. It adds a bright, aromatic flavor that pairs well with creamy dressings and fresh vegetables. Follow your favorite salad recipe and simply stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped dill right before serving.
Dill Potato Salad
This potato salad is punctuated with the anise-like flavor of dill:
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, diced and boiled
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 2 tbsp minced shallot
- 2 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Gently stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, dill, shallot, and sugar. Add the boiled potatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Soups and Stews
Dill is a classic seasoning for many soups and stews, like borscht, chowder, and chicken noodle soup. It adds subtle flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
For a quick and easy dill soup, simmer vegetable broth with potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, and tender chopped dill. Puree for a creamy soup. You can also add fresh dill at the end for garnish.
When making hearty bean or vegetable stews, add 2 tbsp chopped dill with the other herbs and seasonings. It provides the perfect finishing touch.
Dill and Chicken Stew
This simple 30 minute stew is packed with dill flavor:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup white wine or broth
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes until browned. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook 5 more minutes. Add broth, wine, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in dill and parsley, season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.
Rice Dishes
The flavor of dill pairs extremely well with rice. Add 2-3 tablespoons of chopped dill towards the end of cooking rice pilaf, risotto, or biryani for an aromatic touch. It’s delicious with lemon and garlic too.
Lemon Dill Rice Pilaf
This rice pilaf is fresh and zesty:
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 tsp salt
In a saucepan, bring the broth and rice to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute until softened. Remove rice from heat and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Fluff gently with a fork. Serve the pilaf garnished with extra dill if desired.
Dips and Spreads
In addition to yogurt dips, dill transforms other popular dips and spreads into flavor bombs. Blend some into hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki sauce, feta dip, or creamy vegetable spreads.
For the best flavor, use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped dill per 1 cup of dip or spread. Add lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Dill Hummus
This version of hummus has a delicious dill twist:
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 tsp salt
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, dill and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with extra dill.
Pasta
Fresh dill can transform basic pasta recipes into vibrant, flavorful dishes. Simply chop 2-3 tablespoons of dill and sprinkle over hot pasta right before serving for instant flavor, or stir it into pasta salads or creamy pasta sauces and fillings.
Dill pairs particularly well with lemon, garlic, parmesan, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and white wine in pasta recipes. Try it with seafood pasta dishes too.
Lemon Garlic Pasta with Dill
This light pasta is bursting with citrus and herb flavors:
- 8 oz pasta of choice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and parmesan. Add the cooked pasta and toss, adding reserved pasta water as needed to coat noodles. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Marinades and Rubs
Dill adds fantastic flavor to meat, fish, and vegetable marinades. It also makes a great addition to dry spice rubs for grilled or roasted foods. Its pungent, herbaceous flavor stands up well to bold ingredients.
For marinades, combine chopped dill with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and other desired herbs and seasonings. Let meat or vegetables marinate 30 minutes up to overnight.
For rubs, mix chopped dill with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and dried oregano or thyme. Coat proteins or veggies with the rub before grilling, broiling, or roasting.
Lemon Dill Fish Marinade
This easy marinade infuses fish with lemon and dill flavor:
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a shallow dish. Add fish fillets and turn to coat. Marinate 15-30 minutes then cook as desired. Discard leftover marinade.
Garnish
One of the simplest ways to use up excess dill is as a flavorful garnish. Dill’s soft, feathery texture makes it beautiful as a finishing touch on all kinds of dishes.
Sprinkle chopped dill over soups, salads, meat, fish, potatoes, vegetables, pasta, or grain dishes right before serving for a burst of color and flavor.
Dill sprigs also make elegant garnishes for plated dishes. Lay them delicately over the finished food or tuck them creatively on the plate.
Salmon with Dill Garnish
This pan seared salmon is plated with a fresh dill garnish:
Brush salmon filets lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat an oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Cook salmon 2-3 minutes per side until opaque and flaky. Remove from heat and squeeze fresh lemon over the tops. Place salmon on plates and garnish with dill sprigs and lemon wedges before serving.
Butter and Oil
Infusing butter or oil with dill is an easy way to add its flavor to all kinds of dishes. Dill butter can be spread over bread or fish before cooking or placed on top of hot vegetables, pasta, or grains.
Dill oil can be used for sautéing meats and veggies, roasting potatoes or root vegetables, and making vinaigrettes, marinades, or sauces.
Dill Compound Butter
This flavored butter takes just 5 minutes:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Using a fork, mash all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Form into a log, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm. Slice off pieces to use as needed.
Vinegar
Steeping fresh dill in vinegar is a simple way to impart its flavor. Dill vinegar is delicious drizzled over cooked vegetables, used to make salad dressings and marinades, or splashed into soups and sauces.
To make dill vinegar: Combine 1 cup white wine, apple cider, or champagne vinegar with 4 sprigs fresh dill in a jar. Cover and let steep 3-4 days, shaking gently once a day. Strain out the dill and transfer the infused vinegar to an airtight container. Store in the fridge.
Dill Vinaigrette
This bright dressing gets flavor from dill vinegar:
- 1/4 cup dill vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, and sugar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Shake or stir again before drizzling over salads, cooked vegetables, potatoes, or grains.
Other Ways to Use Dill
If you still have an abundance of dill after exploring all these options, here are a few more ways to use it up:
- Mix into tuna, chicken, or egg salad
- Stir into plain Greek yogurt for a quick dill yogurt dip
- Blend into pesto, chimichurri, or herb butter
- Mix with breadcrumbs or flour for coating fish
- Use instead of other herbs in recipes for homemade salad dressings, pizza, soups, etc.
- Finely chop and add to deviled eggs
- Add to quinoa or tabbouleh salad
- Make a creamy dill sauce for vegetables, fish, or chicken
- Stir into carrot-raisin salad
- Use as a rub or marinade for shrimp or scallops
Preserving Dill
If you simply can’t use up all your fresh dill, there are several methods for preserving it so it doesn’t go bad:
- Freezing: Chop dill and place in ice cube trays with a little water or olive oil. Freeze, then transfer cubes to airtight bags or containers.
- Drying: Hang dill bunches upside down in a dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight until crispy.
- Vinegar: Steep dill in vinegar as described above.
- Salt: Layer dill in a jar, alternating with coarse salt for preservation.
- Oil: Blanch dill briefly, dry thoroughly, then cover with olive oil in an airtight container.
With a little creativity, you can use excess fresh dill to add flavor to all kinds of dishes! Which ways are you excited to try?
