It means you measure one cup of fresh parsley, then mince it.

But....as for measuring fresh herbs....don't bother to be too exact. It all depends on so many things, how much moisture are in the herbs, how hot a day it was when picked, what cultivar the herb is...
In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn';t matter at all how you measure that cup of parsley...because there are so many other variables in the flavor and intensity.
Most recipes like that call for "a handfull of fresh parsley, chopped"....and never mention if you should include the stems or not.
Linda C

We could presume the author of the recipe knows his or her grammar when composing the recipe... ;-) Look at the placement of the words.

1 cup of minced parsley is parsley that is minced first then measured
1 cup of parsley, minced is parsley that is measured first then minced

But as Linda says, parsley is usually a good solid fistfull. I tend to leave some stem in and keep the rest of the stems frozen for soup flavoring later in the winter.

Strongly flavored herbs like rosemary need a bit more care in measurement till you learn what you like. Maureen

Thank you! I had also wondered if I was to include the stems. The recipe had said: 1 cup parsley, minced. I filled up the measuring cup, and then put it into a small food chopper, and ended up with 1/4 cup tops. Since it was a recipe I was trying for the first time, I assumed it must be OK, as 1 full cup of minced parsley seemed like way too much for just one meal, but I did not want to mess up since I had just spent $ for the ingredients, and I wanted it to come out the way it was supposed to, and just wanted to make sure. So I appreciate you for responding. Many thanks!

Also remember that you don't have to be mathematically precise. My 'handful' and that of the circus giant may be substantially different, but it probably doesn't matter in a recipe for, say, tabouleh, or a stew or soup.

There is, however a fair difference between 1 cup minced parsley and 1 cup parsley, minced. Obviously, you can fit a lot more of the finer material into the space than the coarser material. And it can make a difference whether you pack it in tightly, or leave it loose. But really, with parsley and similar herbs, just 'use your eye' - if it looks about right, then it probably is. Try putting in the lesser amount, judge it by appearance and taste, and you can always add more. It's a bit hard adding less!

About the only herb I ever measure with any level of accuracy is chilli powder!

Also, I tend to use less of the Italian (flat-leafed) parsley than the curly parsley. The Italian one has a more robust flavour, though when cooked it's half a dozen of one and 6 of the other.

In short - don't stress about it.

Yep, when using fresh herbs I use what looks right. I never measure.

I don't precisely measure herbs either, I add what seems right for the recipe. However I do use the quantity listed in the recipe as a guide.

Bnicebkind what was the dish and how did it turn out?

Along these lines what do you guys think of the stems? Do you include stems with parsley or cilantro? I tend to try to pick off all the stems and that is so much work.

It was an artichoke and basil chicken recipe I found on line at Better Recipes.com. for the crock pot. Actually, as I re-look at the recipe now, it actually said 1 cup minced parsley...that seems like way to much for a simple dinner with 6 chicken breasts! Anyway, I guess I made two mistakes. First, I did just use the 1/4 cup minced. 2nd, I thought I had picked up Italian parsley, but after I minced it and added it to the recipe, I thought it had such a strong smell to it, and re-checked the label and it turned out to be cilantro, which i had picked up by mistake because I was in a hurry. There was also fresh basil and cayenne pepper in the recipe, so I thought there might be too many flavors going on, and so I thought I had botched the recipe, regardless. Everyone loved it, so you might be right about not needed to be that precise. It had a kick, with good flavor after all. I still think 1 cup minced would have been way too much for a chicken dinner though.

LOL...well if the recipe called for basil, the parsley was mostly for more green as the basil would be stronger. Cilantro is such a different flavor but the bottom line is ...They liked it and that's the whole point.

re the stems of cilantro. If you are lucky enough to get the entire root with the green, you will have the part used in Thai cooking. Take off that final little teensy tail, and pound the stems with garlic and salt. (A mini food processor can work too.) This is a basic in a lot of Thai cooking and you will love the aroma of your kitchen. Plus it tastes good too when sauted or added to a soup. I'm almost salivating.

For years cilantro was a volunteer pest in my garden amidst the tomatoes...I was vigilant, I yanked it mercilessly and used and gave away handsfulls of the stuff....and eventually I defeated it...:-(
I need to buy some more seeds.
Linda C

It means that you fill the 1 cup measure, packed, with the parsley. THEN mince it. That said, typically the amount comes out about the sane, either way.