Cooking with herbs is an easy way to infuse a recipe with flavor.
Not sure where to start?
Make homemade pesto to stir into pasta or chimichurri sauce to serve with your favorite grilled meats.
Add your favorite chopped herbs to homemade vinaigrette or creamy ranch dip.
Herbs like cilantro and mint are excellent tossed in an Asian-inspired salad.
Some herbs may be more familiar to you than others.
Experiment with a few at a time until you find ones that you like.
For the freshest herbs, grow your own.
Plant in a large pot with well-drained soil and water regularly.
Basil
No other herb epitomizes the taste of summer like basil.
Culinary Uses:If you have a lot of basil on hand,make your own pesto!
Tender basil is at its best when it’s fresh, and complements nearly everything from meat to fish.
Use it to garnish salads and pizzas fresh out of the oven.
Recipes to Try:Healthy Basil Recipes
Prep:Basil can bruise easily.
It’s best to tear or very roughly chop the leaves.
The delicate stems at the top of the plant are good to chop and use in soups.
The larger stems of the plant (toward the root end) are woody and less flavorful.
It will last a week to 10 days.
To freeze basil, blanch the leaves first, then dry them before they hit the freezer.
This will prevent them from turning black.
Culinary Uses:Cilantro likes to make a statement.
(But, really, cilantro can go with just about everything.)
It’s wonderful in soups, salsas and curries.
Heat can temper fresh cilantro’s flavor, so add it to a dish right before serving.
The stems are just as flavorful as the leaves, they’re just not as delicate.
It will last a week to 10 days.
It pairs well with fish, poultry, eggs and smoked meats.
The tender parts of the stems can be chopped and used in cooking or for infusing its unique flavor.
Storage:Store dill wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
Its intensely floral flavor goes particularly well with meats and vegetables.
Culinary Uses:Marjoram is milder than oregano and because of that, it’s more versatile.
It’s wonderful in soups, salad dressings, pasta sauces and as a garnish for veggies.
Heat can temper the flavor, so add it to a dish right before serving.
Prep:you might eat the leaves whole or chopped.
The stems can be woody, but you don’t have to throw them away.
Use the stems for building flavorthey can be used whole to enhance the flavor of stock and soup.
Storage:Store marjoram wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
Mediterranean oregano has a milder flavor than its Mexican counterpart.
Culinary Uses:Oregano has a strong, woodsy flavor that pairs best with dark and gamy meats.
It’s wonderful in soups, pasta sauces and pizza sauces.
Prep:it’s possible for you to eat the leaves whole or chopped.
The stems can be woody, but you don’t have to throw them away.
Storage:Store oregano wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
Whole parsley sprigs add a fresh, bright flavor to stock, soups and stews.
Leaves can be enjoyed whole in salads, dips or salsas, or chopped and used as garnish.
Prep:Parsley leaves can be chopped or enjoyed whole.
The leaves are sturdy and hold their color well, even when cooked.
The stems are just as flavorful as the leaves, they’re just not as delicate.
Storage:Store parsley wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
Parsley loses much of its mild flavor when dried, but it retains much of its vibrant green color.
It’s wonderful in soups, pasta sauces and breads and infused in oil.
Prep:Rosemary leaves look like pine needles.
The stems are woody and don’t have a lot of flavor.
Storage:Store rosemary wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
To freeze, place the leaves and stems in a plastic bag.
Remove the leaves as needed.
The soft, oval, silver-green leaves have a slightly bitter, musty flavor.
Culinary Uses:Sage has a love-it or leave-it kind of flavor.
It’s wonderful in soups, sauces, breads and stuffing.
Prep:Sage leaves are long and almost fuzzy.
Because of that and their relatively strong flavor, sage leaves are usually chopped.
Whole leaves can make a lovely garnish if they are flash-fried in a bit of oil first.
Storage:Store sage wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
The herb you buy in the supermarket is most likely spearmint.
Peppermint contains more menthol and is used primarily in candies, teas and sweets.
Numerous varietals include gems like apple mint, orange mint, pineapple mint and chocolate mint.
Culinary Uses:Mint is much more versatile than we give it credit for.
It’s great in chutney, salsas or salads.
And don’t forget it makes a delightful flavoring and garnish for desserts!
Also try it in dips and sauces.
Prep:Mint leaves can be chopped, torn or enjoyed whole.
Stems can be cooked along with aromatics or used to for juice or in purees.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
Tarragon
Long, flat, tender leaves identify tarragon.
To make the most of its unique flavor, add tarragon near the end of cooking.
Prep:Tarragon’s delicate leaves can be chopped, torn or enjoyed whole.
Like basil, they bruise easily.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
Its flavor can range from floral and bright to lemony and tart.
It pairs well with just about everything from fish, chicken and dark meat to tender vegetables.
Prep:Thyme’s tiny leaves can be chopped or enjoyed whole.
Like basil, they bruise easily.
Stems toward the flower end of the sprigs are tender, but further down they’re woody.
Storage:Store thyme wrapped in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.
It will last a week to 10 days.
Add the mixture one cube at a time to soups and sauces.
When dried, thyme takes on a musty flavor.
