The ultimate guide for herbs
Why herbs for vegans?
Vegan food is pretty amazing all alone. But did you know it tastes 100% better if you add some fresh or dried herbs? Herbs add the right flavours to all your dishes and they are the final touch (taste). They can slightly enhance the taste or completely change a flavour of a dish. You can truly make magic with these little but superpowerful ingredient!
Herbs are not only good for your kitchen but they also serve as a natural healing remedy. Many of them are very rich in vitamins and minerals. Most of them contain phytochemicals which are non-essential nutrients which work as protective or disease preventive properties in a human body.
Herbs help the body fight against several common diseases, such as inflammatory, bad digestion, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalance or a weak immune system. They also support a natural and healthy balance of a body.
For vegans, it is absolutely necessary to have some dried or even fresh herbs stored somewhere in a kitchen. In this ultimate herb guide, I will show you how to store dried herbs in your kitchen or if you have a chance, how to grow your own herbs. I will also give you a few tips on how to always prepare amazing and tasty food with a little use of herbs!
How to buy and store fresh herbs
When you go for a herb shopping, you want to make sure the herbs are as fresh as possible. Therefore, always look for vibrant colours and don’t be afraid to get closer and smell a herb! You should smell a typical aroma instantly. You can purchase them as a whole plant with roots in a little bit of soil, as loose leaves or in separated packages.
Herbs in their fresh form can be stored in a kitchen for several days without losing any aroma. Obviously, you have to keep them in a fridge or a cool area. Remove all rubber bands put roots in a glass with fresh water. Leave a plant covered with a plastic bag you bought it in. Don’t forget to change water regularly every day! After while when endings of leaves appear a bit limp, you can trim them. Trim also the stems and put it in ice water. You will notice how quickly will a plant recover!
If you want to store herbs for more than just a few days, you can freeze them. You can leave them in a freezer for no longer than six months. Before freezing, wash the leaves, dry them and place them in a plastic bag. Don’t forget to seal the bag properly. Unfortunately, herbs might lose their vibrant colours or even aroma.
Another option is to dry fresh herbs or purchase them dried already. Store them in a cool, dark place. They dry very quickly. Just make sure they are completely dry. You don’t want to get any mould on them!
How to grow your own herbs
Herbs are quite easy to grow. It’s easier than growing flowers or vegetables because herbs don’t require a high maintenance or too much attention. There are two types of herbs: annual and perennials.
The first one you can grow for one season and then plant again each spring. This might be for example basil, coriander or dill. The second category can grow for several years. It usually dies in autumn and in spring automatically re-grows. This might be marjoram, chives, mint, thyme, sage or rosemary. Parsley can be grown over two years.
Most herbs like full sun and they must be placed in a sunny, bright area. Some herbs don’t require too much sun and they can stay in a light or partial shade. All herbs prefer moderate rich and friable soil. Herbs are suitable for big gardens and for apartments, too. You can keep herbs in pots and indoor on a windowsill. That’s the way how to make sure herbs get enough sunshine!
The guide to essential herbs for vegans
Basil
1. Basil
Basil, sometimes called sweet basil, is super popular in Southern Europe, especially in France and Italy. Its scientific name Ocimum basilicum is Greek for ‘kingly herbs’.
Aroma of basil can be compared to anise or chives. It smells a bit spicy and quite strong. As you might know, basil goes very well with tomatoes or vegan mozzarella. Basil is excellent for making vegan pesto or put whole leaves on a vegan margherita pizza!
Basil can easily be killed by frosts. It is very tender. If you live in a cooler climate, you should sow seeds undercover into pots. You should keep the pot in a sunny and warm location. The temperature should be over 20 degrees Celsius.
Bay leaves
2. Bay leaves
The bay tree is a long-lived and slow-growing evergreen tree. In folklore, the bay is a herb which keeps evil away from a garden. The Roman emperor, Tiberius, always wore a crown made of bay leaves. The Olympic athletes did the same before they started using gold medals.
Bay is a quite robust and very aromatic herb. It has a kind of astringent flavour. The aroma reminds of mint and cloves. Bay goes very well with other strong and spicy herbs and spices, such as cumin. Bay leaves can be added to soups, sauces, stews, or stocks. It is excellent for adding in slow-cooked dishes because the bay flavour is released gradually.
Chives
3. Chives
Chives are a part of an onion family. They have been using for cooking in the last 5000 years! When In the garden, chives are invaluable as the sulfur in them repels unwanted insects. On the other hand, the mauve flowers attract bees!
Chives have long stems and they taste better when they are fresh. They look beautiful on a plate if you wish to decorate your food. Their flavour reminds of a spring onion, but just a little bit stronger. It might even resemble a garlic flavour. They taste amazing with roasted or baked potatoes or with vegan butter.
Coriander (cilantro)
4. Coriander
Coriander is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro. The mention about coriander can be also found in the Bible. It is a bitter herb traditionally eaten at Passover. It can be used to flavour gin.
Coriander has a very refreshing taste and very fresh and strong aroma. You either love it or hate it. It looks very similar to parley but it tastes completely different. You would recognize the difference immediately! In a shop, you can find dried coriander but it tastes the best when it’s fresh. It is commonly known and used in Asian, Mexican, and some Indian dishes.
It is excellent for vegan pesto. Try it, it’s absolutely worthy! Coriander goes very well together with fresh cherry tomatoes, lime, avocado or chickpeas. Try amazing tomato and chickpea salad with lime. If you like Mexican cuisine, a coriander guacamole is an absolute must!
Dill
5. Dill
Dill was traditionally used to treat digestive disorders and flatulence, hiccups, insomnia, and indigestion. It’s still the main ingredient in gripe water. Dill has been cultivated for thousands of years by indigenous of southwestern Asia and southern Europe. If you wish to grow dill at home, place it in a full sun and well-drained. moist soil.
Dill has a super fresh flavour and strong aroma. It goes very well with sour dishes and lime or lemon juice. Therefore, it’s often used for sour sauces, mayonnaise, vinegar, yoghurt sauces, soups or as a potato seasoning. You can add it to Asian and seafood dishes, too.
Try tasty tofu in dill and lemon marinade, vegan dill sauce, salt and vinegar cucumbers with dill, lemon dill potato salad, or cauliflower and dill soup.
Mint
6. Mint
According to a very old Greek myth, mint became a symbol of hospitality. In the Middle East, the mint teat is often offered as a welcome drink. I am sure everyone knows a delicious cocktail mojito! For growing your own mint, you should leave it in a full shade and rich acidic soil with a lot of moist. There are nearly 600 different varieties to choose from!
Often you can see a mint as a component for vegan desserts. Because of its extremely fresh taste and aroma, mint is used for sweet dishes and desserts. Try raw kiwi tart with mint and ginger or mint carob walnut brownies! Mint can be used in savoury dishes, too, as an additional peppery taste. Try herb falafel with vegan tzatziki, minty green pea soup, or mint chutney!
Parsley
7. Parsley
Parsley originally comes from the Mediterranean area. It has been cultivated for over 2000 years. It’s strongly linked to many English folklore stories. One of them says that only wicked people and witches were able to grow parsley because it was believed that parsley seeds go to the devil and back seven times before germinating!
Parlsey is one of the most common herbs you can find in supermarkets or in a garden. It is great for decorating meals like pasta or soup and therefore it’s used in Italian or French cuisine. Parsley has a light but a bit peppery flavour. It adds a beautiful green and bright colour and with other ingredients it tastes very smooth. For growing parsley at home, you need full sun or partial shade. Parsley likes well-drained and moist soil. It has very long roots so a container must be at least 20 cm deep.
Try parsley and cashew pesto, fettuccine with parsley and almond pesto, or radish salsa with scallions. Use parsley to heal several health problems, such as digestive system, freshens breath, bladder function or thyroid function.
Rosemary
8. Rosemary
In ancient folklore, rosemary was sometimes referred to keeping a house away from thieves and witches and preventing fairies entering and stealing infants. It is also called Mary’s Mantle. It is a popular natural remedy for healing fatigue and even depression. It’s believed that it has the power to enhance memory and concentration by increasing blood flow to a brain.
For growing at home, you need to find a very bright place with full sun and sandy/dry soil. Rosemary loves a good drainage. The soil must be moist but never wet! The pot must be big enough to fit long roots of rosemary.
Rosemary is an amazing source of calcium and, surprisingly, a source of iron, too. It helps recover a bad digestion, inflammation, fight free radicals, bacteria, and fungi. Sometimes it’s added to herb tea for treating menstrual cramps and headaches.
Rosemary can be used both fresh and dried. It has a very strong and pungent aroma. Be careful with the amount of rosemary you use for your dishes because the strong aroma can easily overpower the taste of a whole dish! It is amazing for roasted potatoes, vegan focaccia with tomatoes, or vegan chickpea soup!
Sage
9. Sage
Sage’s home is in Mediterranean regions and the Dalmatian coast. It is well-known in a herbal medicine as an aid for menopausal hot flashes. It can colour grey hair and helps relieve a sore throat. Cultivating at home, sage likes a sunny spot or a partial shade. It can grow in any kind of soil as long as it’s well-drained. It is doing great in pots, too.
Sage has an earthy flavor and a distinguishing woodsy aroma. You can combine it with other herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and parsley. It is often used in combination with other herbs such as parsley, rosemary, and thyme. If you use dried sage, its aroma will be even stronger. It can easily overpower a dish so you have to be careful with it. Sage is a great garnish as well.
Try fried sage with butternut squash linguine, brown butter sauce, mushroom pasta with sage, or pumpkin sage biscuits!
Thyme
10. Thyme
Thyme is originally a wild plant from the Mediterranean. Nowadays, there are so many varieties of thyme available. The herb medicine commonly uses thyme to cool down fever, headaches, and mucus. It has very strong antiseptic properties that can heal scalp itching and flaking. It is a great source of iron, vitamin K, and manganese.
Grow thyme in full sunlight and well-drained soil. It tolerates drier conditions, too. Thym is doing great in containers but you should add some sand before you plant it.
Thyme has a fragrant and sort of sweet flavour. You can have it dried or fresh. It works well with other herbs like rosemary, sage or oregano. It is delicious, especially with mushrooms! Try vegan roasted potatoes with lime, thyme, and rosemary or vegan mushroom gravy!
Oregano
11. Oregano
Oregano is a very easy herb to grow, you can have it all-around. It is rich in calcium, vitamin K, iron, and manganese. It helps fight against free radicals and it works as an anti-inflammatory property. Oregano also boosts the immune system so you will like it, especially in winter or cold weather!
This herb grows in mountains in Italy and Greece. Therefore, it is very popular in Italian and Greek cuisine. Mexicans know oregano, too. They use something called ‘Mexican oregano’. Oregano has a quite earthy and pungent taste and sometimes you can see it as a ‘wild marjoram’ because its taste is very close to the taste of sweet marjoram.
You can try it in delicious vegan oregano pesto, homemade lemon oregano vinaigrette, or white beans with oregano!
Tarragon
12. Tarragon
Cultivars of tarragon include French and Russian tarragon. The French version is a perennial herb with a medical reputation. According to a legend, it can cure dragon bites. Russian tarragon is coarser with paler leaves and a more bitter taste. For growing tarragon at home, you don’t need a full sun. Tarragon likes colder temperature but you have to be careful with overwatering. This herb can get infected with fungal diseases very easily!
You will probably find French tarragon more suitable for cooking. You can get it dried or fresh. As you might suspect, it’s great for traditional French dishes. It has a significant peppery flavour. Tarragon does very well in white wine vinegar, mustard dishes and it’s a fundamental ingredient for béarnaise sauce.
Try amazing tarragon and lemon roasted vegetables, roasted mushroom tagliatelle with tarragon sauce, or miso tahini tarragon vegan butter.
The herbs for vegans
If you like using seasoning – spices and herbs – in your kitchen, then you probably find very useful and interesting to learn about all the herbs you can use. For vegan cooking, the taste is very important. We all always want to make our meal as tasty as possible.
For this reason, I bring you this ultimate guide to all essential herbs which are great for the vegan cooking! Try them all and let me know which herb is your favourite! Don’t forget to share with your friends!
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