12 Common Herbs and Spices

New to cooking with herb and spices?  This post will help you create delicious dishes using herbs and spices that you probably have in your cupboard.

Not only are herbs and spices tasty, but are rich in vitamins and minerals that you and your family need everyday.  Therefore, to reserve the healthy benefits, add most herbs near the end cooking.

The herb and spice list below shows the uses in vegetables, seafood, meat and poultry, soups and sauces, dairy, legumes and grains, and fruit and desserts.

Basil

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: zucchini, corn, bell pepper, tomato, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, eggplant, squash, spinach, artichoke, fennel, onion, potato
• Seafood: lobster, shrimp, crab, red snapper, salmon (fresh and smoked), grouper, tuna
• Meat and Poultry: chicken, turkey, beef, veal, lamb, sausage
• Soups and Sauces: corn chowder, tomato, minestrone, vegetable soup
• Dairy: egg dishes, ricotta, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, bleu cheese, goat cheese
• Legumes and Grains: polenta, cannellini beans, rice (all varieties), couscous, all pasta
• Fruit and Dessert: watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, apple, peach, nectarine, pear, figs

Bay

dried (like here)

• Vegetables: tomato, beans, corn, potato, cabbage
• Seafood: lobster, shrimp, any fish
• Meat and Poultry: beef, turkey, chicken, pot roast, mushroom
• Soups and Sauces: vegetable, tomato, potato, chili, stew, spaghetti sauce, stock
• Dairy: none
• Legumes and Grains: red beans, lentils, baked beans
• Fruit and Dessert:  none

Chives

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: baked potatoes, potato salads, vegetable salad, tomatoes, corn
• Seafood: any fish
• Meat and Poultry: sandwiches, chicken salad, stir-fries, egg dishes
• Soups and Sauces: any dressings, any sauces (esp. for fish), any soup
• Dairy: any dips, cream cheese, cheese, butter
• Legumes and Grains: any bean, toast
• Fruit and Dessert: fruit salad

Cilantro

(herb), fresh or dried (like here) or

Coriander (seeds), dried (like here)

• Vegetables: cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, corn, cucumber, eggplant, hominy, jicama, okra, onion, potato, tomato, zucchini
• Seafood: catfish, clams, crab, halibut, mussels, red snapper, salmon, sea bass, scallop, shrimp, tilapia, trout, tuna
• Meat and Poultry: chicken, game hen, lamb, pork, steak
• Soups and Sauces: bean soup, creamy soup or sauce, seafood stews, tomato sauce or soup, vegetable soup,
• Dairy: cheese both strong and mellow, fried eggs, frittata, goat cheese, omelet, and soufflé
• Legumes and Grains: black bean, cannellini bean, couscous, lentil, pasta, risotto, white or brown rice
• Fruit and Dessert: avocado, cranberry, dates, fig, lemon, mango, orange, peach, pineapple, plantain

Dill

(herb), fresh or dried

or (seeds), dried (like here)

• Vegetables: asparagus, beats, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, fennel, green bean, peas, potato, radishes, sugar snap peas, tomato, and turnips
• Seafood: cod, crab, salmon, scallops, shrimp, and whitefish
• Meat and Poultry: bacon, chicken, lamb, meat loaf, and pork chops
• Soups and Sauces: carrot soup, clam chowder, chicken soup, cream of asparagus soup, mustard sauce, potato soup, and vodka sauce
• Dairy: cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, crème fraiche, eggs, goat cheese, omelets, soufflé, sour cream, and yogurt
• Legumes and Grains: black eyed peas, bulgur, lentils, and rice
• Fruit and Dessert: apple, avocado, currants, and lemon

Marjoram

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables:  tomato, salad, cabbage, cauliflower
• Seafood:  none
• Meat and Poultry: egg, pizza, meatballs, sausage
• Soups and Sauces: Italian-style tomato, pizza, any bean, any soups, vinaigrette dressing, any sauces, any stews
• Dairy: any dressings, cheese
• Legumes and Grains: any grains, any beans, bread
• Fruit and Dessert:  none

Oregano

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: bell pepper, carrot, escarole, eggplant, fennel, mushroom, onion, potato, spinach, squash, tomato, and zucchini
• Seafood: tuna, anchovy, clams, crab, halibut, lobster, mackerel, mussels, octopus, red snapper, salmon, scallops, sea bass, shrimp, and sword fish
• Meat and Poultry: bacon, beef, chicken, duck, hamburger, lamb, pork, sausage, and veal
• Soups and Sauces: black bean, hearty vegetable, minestrone, pea, tomato, tortilla soup, and white bean
• Dairy: cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, nacho cheese, sour cream, quiche, and yogurt
• Legumes and Grains: beans, couscous, lentils, pasta, and rice
• Fruit and Dessert: apple, apricot, avocado, grapefruit, lemon, mango, pear, pineapple

Parsley

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: cucumber, mushroom, potato, spinach, tomato, and zucchini
• Seafood: anchovies, halibut, salmon, shrimp, swordfish, and tuna
• Meat and Poultry: chicken, duck, ham, pork, sausage, steak, and turkey
• Soups and Sauces: beef, chicken, clam chowder, and goulash
• Dairy: cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, goat cheese, omelets, quiche, soufflé, sour cream, and yogurt
• Legumes and Grains: beans, couscous, lentils, pasta, and rice
• Fruit and Dessert: apple, avocado, lemon, mango

Rosemary

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, onion, peas, potato, and zucchini
• Seafood: halibut, trout, scallops, shrimp, trout, and white fish
• Meat and Poultry: chicken, ham, lamb, herring, steak, venison, turkey, and veal
• Soups and Sauces: beans such as white bean, butter, hearty vegetable, split pea, and tomato
• Dairy: cheese both strong and mellow, frittata, omelet, and soufflé
• Legumes and Grains: herbed breads, rolls, biscuits, lentils, risotto, white beans or cannellini beans
• Fruit and Dessert: apple, apricot, fig, grape, pear, pineapple, plum

Sage

Garden, fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: artichoke, butternut squash, celery, fennel, mushroom, potato, sweet potato, tomato
• Seafood: clam, oysters, salmon, scallops, shrimp, tilapia, trout
• Meat and Poultry: bacon, boar, chicken, pork, prosciutto, steak, turkey, and veal
• Soups and Sauces: bean, butternut squash, gravy, mushroom, potato, pumpkin, stock, tomato, vegetable
• Dairy: blue, cheddar, fontina, goat, gorgonzola, and Parmesan cheese, cream, poached eggs
• Legumes and Grains: herbed breads, pasta, risotto, stuffing, white beans or cannellini beans
• Fruit and Dessert: apple, apricot, fig, grape, lemon, pear, plum, rhubarb

Tarragon

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: vegetable and green salads, peas, green beans, asparagus, Swiss chard, tomato
• Seafood:  none
• Meat and Poultry: omelets, fish, chicken
• Soups and Sauces: vinegar, mayonnaise
• Dairy:  none
• Legumes and Grains:  none
• Fruit and Dessert:   none

Thyme

fresh or dried (like here)

• Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, carrots, celery, eggplant, fennel, mushroom, peas, potato, sweet potato, tomato, zucchini
• Seafood: catfish, clams, crab, halibut, lobster, mussels, oysters, salmon, scallops, shrimp, snapper, tilapia, trout
• Meat and Poultry: bacon, boar, chicken, ham, lamb, pork, prosciutto, quail, rabbit, steak, turkey, and veal
• Soups and Sauces: clam chowder, bean, butternut squash, gravy, lentil, mushroom, potato, pumpkin, stock,
• tomato, vegetable
• Dairy: blue, cheddar, fontina, goat, gorgonzola, and Parmesan cheese, cream, poached eggs
• Legumes and Grains: herbed breads, garbanzo beans, lentils, pasta, rice, risotto, stuffing, white beans or cannellini beans, tabbouleh, quinoa, wild rice
• Fruit and Dessert: apple, apricot, berries, fig, grape, lemon, melon, peach, pear, plum, strawberry