Herbs de Provence is a fragrant blend of several dried spices that has a flavor that is both a bit sweet and woody. The spices included in this tasty blend are ones that tend to grow abundantly throughout the Provence region of France, including thyme, marjoram, savory, sage, rosemary, and lavender. You can purchase it pre-mixed or make your own.
Making the Spice Blend
Chances are you already have most (maybe all) of the ingredients to make your own herbs de Provence blend your spice rack or cabinet.
Ingredients
Used dried spices to make this recipe. If you are not familiar with this spice blend, start with the ingredients not labeled as optional. Cook with it, then decide what other flavors might enrich the blend in a way that suits your taste buds. Experiment adding in optional spices one (or a few) at a time, until you create your optimal blend.
- 6 tablespoons of thyme
- 4 tablespoons of marjoram
- 4 tablespoons of savory
- 3 tablespoons of rosemary
- 1/2 of a teaspoon of culinary lavender (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of mint (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of tarragon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of basil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of parsley (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of oregano (optional)
Instructions
Place the dried spices in a bowl. Stir to blend thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.
Cooking With Herbs De Provence
McCormick's suggestion for herbs de Provence is to "mix with olive oil to brush over roasted or grilled meats, poultry or seafood." It makes a perfect dry rub for chicken, and it also a perfect add-in to scrambled eggs.
A number of recipes feature this wonderful blend of herbs. A few examples include:
- Grilled leg of lamb: If you're looking for an elegant main course, consider this wonderful recipe for leg of lamb seasoned with herbs de Provence.
- Herbs de Provence Roasted Vegetables: This easy recipe lets you combine all of your favorite veggies with this flavorful spice blend, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for a spectacular side dish. You can follow the recipe exactly or adjust so that it includes the vegetables you love the most.
- Creamy garlic herb mushroom spaghetti: Of course, as herbs de Provence is an Italian blend, decadent pasta recipes are a natural fit. This tasty dish is a classic, rich cream sauce with mushrooms and an aromatic pairing of this spice blend with fresh parsley.
- Herb French bread: If you enjoy baking your own bread, you are sure to take delight in this wonderful recipe for hearty, chewy, and flavorful yeast bread. As with any homemade bread recipe, it requires several steps and will take some time, but the results are well-worth the effort.
- Savory gluten-free crackers: Blend almond flour, rice flour, herbs de Provence, and a few other spices to make your own tasty gluten-free crackers. You can also stir it in to any other cracker recipe you like to make, with or without gluten.
Of course, these are just a few of the many recipes that can be made using this tasty spice blend. If you want more ideas, consider reading Herbes de Provence: Cooking with the Herbs of Southern France in The Artful Kitchen Series. Or, alternately, simply experiment with it on your own, adding the spice blend to your favorite main courses or side dishes.
Flavorful Pantry Staple
Once you start cooking with herbs de Provence, you'll want to keep this flavorful pantry staple on hand at all times. Fortunately, it is easy to find pre-mixed varieties in your favorite supermarket any time you want. It's also quite simple to whip up a homemade batch using a recipe that you've tweaked precisely to your tastes.
