chiffonade

American  

[shif-uh-neyd, -nahd] / ˌʃɪf əˈneɪd, -ˈnɑd /

adjective

1. a mixture of finely cut vegetables, herbs, or the like, for use in soups, salads, etc.

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chiffonade British  

/ ˌʃɪfəˈnɑːd /

noun

1. finely shredded leaf vegetables used as a base for a dish or as a garnish

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Etymology

Origin of chiffonade

From French, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at chiffon, -ade ¹

Explanation

A chiffonade is a bunch of very thinly sliced herbs or vegetables. Your favorite pasta recipe may call for a chiffonade of basil as the finishing touch. In French, chiffonade means "little ribbons," and no matter what you're slicing, that's just what it should look like when you use this cooking technique. It works best with wide leaves that you can stack, roll, and delicately slice. Try a chiffonade of kale in a salad or a chiffonade of mint on top of homemade chocolate pudding. This word can also be used as a verb to refer to the act of cutting herbs or greens into thin stips. If you take a cooking class, you might learn to chiffonade spinach.

Example Sentences

Each of the tanks has a fresh chiffonade of the pintos’ favorite red and emerald green algae on which the abalone may graze.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2021

Fortunately for the table, the crusty pork Milanese shows up as merely a substantial cutlet splayed across a chiffonade of snap peas and fresh mint.

From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2021

They are peeling parsnips, driving tractors, fighting with spreadsheets, kneading dough, teaching other women how to chiffonade, and dreaming up change as I write these words.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2021

Garnish with scallion chiffonade and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 5, 2015

Add a handful of chiffonade, cook five minutes and serve.

From Twenty-four Little French Dinners and How to Cook and Serve Them by Moore, Cora