Pull off the green leaves from the tough stems of parsley. Rinse the parsley under cold running water or, if the parsley seems particularly sandy, drop it into cold water and agitate it with the hands. Rinse well and drain. Dry the parsley on toweling, squeezing or pressing lightly.

Place the parsley leaves on a chopping board and gather them closely into the fingers. Push the parsley out from the fingers, chopping with an up-and-down motion of the chopping knife. After the parsley is thus chopped, continue chopping to the desired degree of fineness.