THe Gourmet Bon Vivant
Let's face it: Cilantro is not for everyone. It took me YEARS of forcing myself to continue eating it before I got to the point where I could convince my body I wasn't eating poison mixed with soap. Cilantro is the true love/hate food, so this is for everyone that needs substitutes for cilantro on any given day of the week.
For many people cilantro has great flavors, kind of similar to mint and citrus - bright, fresh and sunny. For people who find it totally disgusting, and specifically, would describe the flavour as "soap" or "dead bugs" (seriously, true story), it comes down to genetics. Cilantro leaves contain something called aldehydes in their leaves. Aldehydes are organic materials that typically have a strong smell to them - a soapy smell. Those who dislike cilantro are thought to be particularly sensitive to aldehydes, and therefore the smell, and taste of cilantro hits them like a ton of bricks (of soap).
It probably won't surprise you to learn that most of these substitutes for cilantro are fresh herbs. Cilantros distinct fresh flavor is something that herbs have in spades.
Basil is another great cilantro substitute because of it's fresh and sweet flavor. There's also different varieties of basil that makes it more versatile for what you're looking for.
Lime and cilantro go together like peanut butter and jelly. Lime brings bright citrus to the game.
So this is interesting. If you don't like cilantro, why would you replace it with the dried version of, well, cilantro? It's because while the dried versions of most herbs and spices intensify the flavor, coriander does the opposite. So it's actually a great option for a little bit of cilantro flavor, but not the full punch-you-in-the-face version the fresh stuff brings.
Lemons
Cumin
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For more substitutions, tips, and gourmet recipes (some with cilantro, some not).