14 Types of Herbs (and how to cook with them!)

What are fresh herbs?

In the simplest terms, fresh herbs are leafy, aromatic, flavorful plants that are added to dishes in small amounts to add more flavor or as a garnish. Essentially, you can think of a fresh herb as a fresh seasoning. This makes herbs distinctly different from vegetables, which are used to add sustenance and substance.

While fresh herbs are usually green; however, there are roughly 100 different herbs in the world and some color variations, such as purple basil, do exist.

Types of herb

There are two main categories or types of fresh herbs: soft, leafy herbs (you can eat the stems) and woody, hardy herbs (you must pick the leaves from the stems as the stem isn’t edible). Below are the most common types of herbs that fall into each category:

List of soft herbs

• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Parsley
• Tarragon
• Mint

Types of woody herbs

• Chives
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

14 common fresh herbs

Below is a list of the fourteen most common types of herbs used in the kitchen.

Basil

Highly aromatic soft basil leaves provide a sweet and robust licorice flavor foods. Basil is particularly popular in Italian, Mediterranean, and Thai cuisines. And you can find it used in classic dishes, such as bread dipping oil recipes, tomato basil soup and Thai basil beef.

However, you’ll want to avoid cooking basil leaves. Instead use them raw just before serving to add a note of freshness to dishes. But, there is one caveat. If you are making basil pesto sauce recipes, you’ll want to quickly blanch the basil leaves to preserve the vibrant color.

Fresh basil pairs well with bell peppers, cheeses, chicken, chocolate, eggplant, egg dishes, fish, lamb, meats, mint, mussels, olive oil, olives, oregano, pasta and pasta sauces, peaches, pesto, pineapple, pizza, pork, potatoes, poultry, rabbit, rice, salads and salad dressings, salmon, sauces, shellfish, soups, tomatoes, veal, vegetables, watermelon, and zucchini. Avoid pairing basil with tarragon.

Chervil

Chervil is a member of the parsley family. This soft herb lends a delicate, aniseed flavor to the ingredients it’s paired with. Fresh chervil is popular in Provençal cuisine and typically makes an appearance raw in salads or as a finishing garnish.

This quiet, delicate soft herb pairs well with asparagus, carrots, eggs and egg dishes, fish, game birds, lettuce, lobster, peas, potatoes, poultry, salads, shellfish, soups, tomatoes, veal, venison, and vinegar.

Chives

The chive is a relative of the garlic, leek, onion, and shallot family. Chives lend a subtle onion flavor to foods and are a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine, stir-fries, and salads.

Fresh chive pairs fantastically with avocados, cheese, chicken, cream sauces, egg dishes, fish, onions, pasta, pork, potatoes, salads, shellfish, smoked salmon, and vegetables, especially root veggies and zucchini. I personally love it in cream cheese with chives recipes.

Cilantro

Also known as coriander, cilantro is a polarizing herb. While some people believe this soft herb tastes like soap, cilantro is an essential ingredient to regional cuisines, like Asian, Caribbean, Indian, Latin American, Mexican, and Thai foods. Love it or hate it, cilantro has its place in dishes like pico de gallo, guacamole, avocado chickpea hummus, fajitas, fish taco bowls, ceviche tostadas, and chicken curry salad.

Try this bold, soft-leaved herb with avocados, chicken, chile peppers, coconut, cumin, fish, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lentils, pork, poultry, potatoes, rice, salads, salsas, shellfish, soups, stews, tomatoes, vinaigrettes, and yogurt.

Some say you should avoid using fresh cilantro in Japanese cuisine; however, fusion cuisines are perfectly fine.

Dill

Moderately flavorful dill brings sour, sweet flavors to the party. The feathery fronds of dill are commonly used in European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisine.

French rillettes is a common dish made with dill. However, fresh dill fronds pair wonderfully with asparagus, avocado, beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, chicken, corn, cream sauces, cucumbers, egg dishes, fish, lamb, mushrooms, pickles, potatoes, poultry, salads, salmon, scallops, and shellfish.

Garlic

While garlic is shaped like a bulb, it is in fact an herb or fresh seasoning.

Marjoram

Marjoram is a botanical relative of oregano; however, it’s important to note that it is a quiet, mellow relative of oregano. With a moderate sweet, spicy flavor, Marjoram is used at the end of the cooking process in French, Italian, Mediterranean, North African, and North American cuisines. And you can find marjoram as an ingredient in bouquet garni and fines herbes.

Fresh marjoram pairs well with delicate-flavored foods, such as artichokes, asparagus, carrots, chicken, duck, eggs, fish, green beans, potatoes, tuna, shellfish, and summer vegetables. However, it also works with heavier dishes and more flavorful ingredients like, grilled meats, lamb, mushrooms, pasta (especially ravioli), pork, rabbit, risotto, and veal.

Mint

Quiet, cooling mint lends a moderate sweetness and clean freshness to dishes that tastes a bit like “false coolness”. Fresh mint is a notable addition to Mediterranean, middle eastern, and Moroccan cuisines – with tabbouleh (summer rice salad) being a standout dish, as well as Thai and Vietnamese dishes – with spring rolls being amongst the most popular.

However, this fresh seasoning complements a wide range of ingredients: beans, beef, berries, carrots, cheeses, cucumbers, desserts, eggplant, fish, fruits, lamb, lentils, lettuce, melons, mushrooms, pasta, potatoes, poultry, pumpkin, salads, salsas, tomatoes, vegetables, and yogurt all taste great with a hint of mint.

And don’t forget about beverages and desserts! Mint is best friends with drinks and cocktails, especially those made with apples, blackberries, bourbon, champagne, citrus, milk, fruit punch, strawberries, tropical fruits, and watermelon. As for desserts, pair it with chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and ice creams.

Oregano

Fresh oregano can vary greatly in flavor from mild Italian oregano to spicy Greek oregano. However, it typically lends a robust, slightly lemony flavor.

You’ll want to avoid using this fresh seasoning with desserts and sweet treats as it has a firmly savory flavor that shines with Italian, Greek, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Tex-Mex cuisines.

Oregano plays well with anchovies, artichokes, arugula, basil, beans, beef, bell peppers, cheese and cheese dishes, chicken, chile peppers, eggs, eggplant, fish, hamburgers, lamb, lemon, meats (especially red meats), mushrooms, olives, pasta and pasta sauces, pizza, pork, potatoes, poultry, rabbit, salads, sausages, seafood and shellfish, soup, stuffing, tomatoes, veal, and vegetables.

I love using fresh oregano in Bolognese sauce and steak chimichurri sauce.

Oregano vs Mexican Oregano

There are different subspecies of oreganos depending upon the region where its grown – Greek, Mexican, Turkey, and Italian Oregano. And each subspecies varies slightly in flavor. Greek oregano, also known simply as “oregano” and Mexican are the most widely used oreganos, so we will discuss them here.

Greek oregano, or Mediterranean oregano, is earthy, grassy, pungent, minty, and slightly bitter, with a hint of subtle sweetness.

While Mexican oregano is more earthy, grassy, and pungent. It’s also peppery and citrusy with a little spice to it.

Parsley

Arguably the most popular fresh herb, parsley is so much more than just an old-school garnish. This light and subtle herb is compatible with virtually all other fresh herbs. While there are two types of parsley – flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley – the term “parsley” typically refers to the flat-leaf variety.

This readily available herb plays well with most things, however, it especially tastes delicious with beans, beef, braised dishes, bulgur wheat, carrots, cheeses, chicken, clams, cream, eggs, eggplant, fish (especially halibut), game, ham, meats, olive oil, pastas and pasta sauces, peas, pork, potatoes, poultry, rise, salads, sauces, sausages, seafood (especially shrimp, skate, and snails), soups and stews, homemade stocks, stuffing, tomatoes, veal, and vegetables.

Just like oregano, you’ll want to avoid adding fresh parsley leaves to sweet dishes and desserts.

Curly vs flat leaf parsley

Flat-leaf and curly are two varieties of parsley; however, they couldn’t be more different in both appearance and flavor.

Curly parsley is grassy, bitter, and salty in taste with ruffly, thick leaves.

On the other hand, flat leaf parsley, also called Italian parsley, is bold, fragrant, and aromatic in flavor with broad, flat leaves.

It’s important to note that when a recipe, like seafood butter sauce, calls for “parsley” it’s typically referring to flat-leaf parsley. Curly parsley is generally reserved as a garnish for lower-end dishes.

Rosemary

Hardy rosemary lends a pungent, strong flavor and piney aroma to the foods it’s paired with. This loud, tough-leaved herb is a perfect match for assertive meats and poultry. However, it also works well with full-flavored seafood dishes, like pan-fried mussels. And it’s terrific paired with potatoes, like potato and roasted garlic soup and mini roasted potatoes. Essentially, fresh rosemary is a common ingredient in French, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisines.

When using rosemary, it’s important to remember that a little can go a very long way. Also keep in mind that fresh rosemary has a stronger flavor in the summer months and a milder flavor in the winter.

Try this fresh seasoning it with anchovies, bacon, beans, beef, bell peppers, cabbage, chicken, duck, eggs and egg dishes, fish, game (especially rabbit and venison), grains, grilled foods, lamb, lavender, lentils, marinades, milk, mushrooms, olive oil, onions, peas, pizza, polenta, pork, potatoes, rice, risotto, sauces, and scallops.

Rosemary also tastes yummy in baked goods, like breads, cakes, cookies, and fruit desserts. Plus, it pairs perfectly with lemon beverages and gin cocktails.

Sage

Bold sage has a sweet, bitter, sour, pine-like flavor with notes of eucalyptus and lemon. This herb is more pleasant when cooked (versus raw). Therefore, you should always add sage to the dish near the end of the cooking process, giving it a chance to cook. Never use raw sage to garnish a dish.

If you’d like to use sage leaves as a garnish, fry the leaves in butter, bacon fat, or olive oil for a beautiful, crispy, and flavorful finishing touch. Or try adding fresh sage when cooking asparagus, beans, beef, cabbage, carrots, cheese (especially brie, feta, gruyere, parmesan and ricotta), chicken, chickpeas, corn, cream, duck, eggplant, eggs, meats, game, goose, honey, lamb, liver, mushrooms, offal, olive oil, onions, oysters, pancetta, pasta (especially stuffed pastas like gnocchi and ravioli), peas, pork, potatoes, poultry, prosciutto, pumpkin, rice, sausages, shellfish, soup and stew, stuffing, tuna, turkey, veal, and winter squash.

Moderately heavy fresh sage also plays nicely with sweeter applications, like a dessert or snacks with blueberries or cherries, and homemade breads.

Tarragon

One of the lesser popular herbs, tarragon has a loud, licorice flavor and light aroma. Unlike other fresh herbs, tarragon really works best on its own (as opposed to pairing it with other fresh herbs). It should be used in moderation and tastes best with acidic foods, chicken, cream sauces, egg salads, fish, potatoes, red meats, shellfish, tomatoes, and vinegar. However, it also works with beets, carrots, cheese, crab and crab cakes, game, greens, lentils, lettuces, lobster, melon, mushrooms, mussels, oysters, pasta, peaches, pork, rabbit, rice, shrimp, spinach, veal, and red wine.

Avoid using tarragon with desserts and sweet dishes, as well as the fresh herbs oregano, rosemary, and sage.

If you’re wondering whether you’ve tried tarragon before, it’s a star ingredient in the classic French sauce, béarnaise. 

Thyme

Delicate thyme leaves lend a woody smell and flavor to dishes. This popular fresh herb is moderately strong in flavor, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s a common herb in American, French, Greek, Italian, Jamaican, and Middle Eastern cuisines, and it pairs lovely with heavier soups and stews, like corn chowder, gnocchi soup, or shrimp and crab seafood bisque, and rich risottos like this mushroom orzo recipe.

However, thyme leaves pair well with a wide variety of ingredients, like apples, bacon, beans, beef, beer, braised dishes, casseroles, cheese, chicken, corn, curries, eggplant, eggs, fish (especially cod), game, lamb, legumes, marinades, meats and meatloaves, mole sauces, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pastas and pasta sauces, pork, potatoes, poultry, rabbit, rice, roasts, sauces (especially tomato sauces and red wine sauces), seafood, stuffing, tomatoes, and vegetables.

Fresh thyme also tastes great in breads and baked goods, like focaccia.