From Parsley to Rosemary: Cooking with Fresh Herbs

Fresh herb potato salad (The Simple Veganista)

Fresh or dried culinary herbs are good to flavour food, and fresh ones also have some health benefits. You can buy these in shops (although online there are zero waste options like in glass jars). You can also buy them loose at zero waste shops, where you can take along your own clean dry containers.

Keep herbs away from pets, as some are unsafe (including oregano, marjoram, tarragon, chives – so is the spice nutmeg/sage). And ingredients often used in recipes like alliums (onion, garlic, leeks, shallots).

If you grow your own herbs, read up on pet-friendly gardens (to know herbs and mulch to avoid). And avoid facing plants to outdoor gardens, one of many ways to help prevent birds flying into windows.

Unless you have a food waste bin (made into biogas), just bin acidic or spicy produce scraps like peppers, onion/garlic/shallot/leeks/chives, to avoid harm to earthworms and other compost creatures.

For tinned ingredients in recipes, rinse/remove lids (or pop ring-pulls over holes) then step on the can to pinch the inner rims together, to avoid wildlife getting trapped at recycling points.

Where to buy zero waste herbs

Steenbergs sells organic herbs in glass pots with metal lids. This lovely Yorkshire company offers all your everyday herbs plus more unique ones for chefs.

If you buy herbs in plastic bags or pots, then recycle at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle. 

How to buy and store culinary herbs

• Wrap fresh cut herbs in a damp paper towel and seal in a silicone bag in the fridge. Store woody herbs loosely in silicone bags with the tops open.
• Sub 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs in a recipe, as they are more concentrated. Buy in small amounts to use up, so they don’t lose their flavour left in cupboards.

Hardy woody herbs (add early in recipe)

• Rosemary is a pungeant pine-like herb with a strong resinous flavour. It’s good with roasted vegan meats, potatoes and bread dough (like focaccia).
• Thyme is earthy, minty and slightly lemony. It’s good for stocks, stews and roasted veggies. And is part of French bouquet garni blends.
• Sage is a strong aromatic warm and slightly bitter herb. It’s good in holiday stuffing, and vegan butter pasta sauces.
• Oregano is a peppery and slightly sweet herb. It’s used in Greek salads, Italian tomato sauces and Mexican chilli.
• Bay leaves are tough aromatic leaves from the bay laurel tree, used as a foundation to slow-cooked dishes like simmering soups. You then remove them at the end of cooking (to avoid choking hazard). The fragrance is similar to oregano and thyme.

Delicate leafy herbs (add late or as a garnish)

• Basil is sweet and peppery, with a touch of aniseed flavour. It’s used to make vegan pesto and pairs perfectly with fresh tomatoes (such as Caprese salad).
• Coriander (cilantro) is a bright citrusy herb for Mexican salsa, Indian chuntey and Southeast Asian noodle soups.
• Parsley is clean, fresh and slightly peppery. Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley is good for cooking, while curly parsley is used as a crunchy garnish.
• Dill is a grassy sweet herb, that is used for potato salad, yoghurt sauce, dill and vegan seafood dishes.
• Chives have a mild delicate onion flavour. They are chopped raw and used for baked potatoes and vegan sour cream, creamy soups and vegan Devilled eggs. Toxic to pets, so keep them away.
• Tarragon is a leafy green herb with a licquorice taste, with notes of fennel and mint. It’s used in French cuisine, including vinegar-based dressings and Hollandaise sauce. It’s heat-sensitive, so add near the end of cooking.
• Marjoram is a botanical cousin of oregano, related to mint. Sweet and floral with citrus and pine notes, it’s used for tomato sauces, stuffing, ratatouille and vegan sausage dishes. Add during the final few minutes of cooking.
• Lemongrass is a tall tropical grass widely used in southeast Asian recipes, with a citrus, floral and ginger flavour, without the acidity of lemon juice. It’s used for Thai curries and tom yum soup. The tough layers are peeled away before adding to the pot.

What is Herbes des Provences?

Herbes des Provences is a blend of herbs that grow in southeastern France. It usually contains rosemary, oregano and thyme, some blends include marjoram, basil or tarragan.

It’s often used as a dry rub mixed with oil for coating vegan meats before grilling or roasting, and also used to season roasted root veggies, tomato stews and Mediterranean flatbreads.