Herbs de provence (or herbes de provence) is a simple, yet very satisfying dried herb blend from the south of France. It is usually a blend of savory, rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano. Most of us are familiar with rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano, but might not be as accustomed to using savory. Savory is a pungent herb that is used sparingly in recipes, but which blends perfectly with the other herbs in this blend.
Herbs de Provence goes wonderfully on fish, chicken, meat and potatoes. The blend of herbs creates a flavor that is unusual, but super flavorful and is almost magical at making bland foods delicious.
Besides the wonderful flavor of this blend, there are also many potential health benefits. Here are just a few of the potential health benefits of each of the herbs:
Basil – Prevention of certain cancers, reduction in depression, reduction of age related memory loss, anti-inflammatory. Basil may also protect against the risk of ulcers for those taking regular doses of aspirin.
Thyme – May reduce blood pressure, protects against colon cancer, kills breast cancer cells, anti-microbial.
Oregano – Helpful for colds and flu and fever. Anti-inflammatory, potentially anti-cancer herb that also helps digestion.
Rosemary – anti-inflammatory, improves brain function, increases circulation, enhances memory, improves digestion.
Savory – Increases sex drive, improves colds and flu, reduces indigestion and gas.
All of these herbs, on their own have positive effects on the body and combined make for some potentially powerful medicine.
The recipe for herbs de Provence only takes about 5 minutes to make. This recipe is the closest I have found that matches the traditional herb blend. The Americanized version includes lavender in the mixture, but I prefer to stick with the original.
Once you make the blend, you can try our herbs de Provence parmesan potatoes (link to recipe here). Red potatoes, covered with olive oil and herbs de provence, baked in the oven and then sprinkled with parmesan cheese. I found this to be one of my all time favorite potato recipes.
Let us know if you try the herbs de Provence and if you have created any recipes with it. Please rate and review!
Herbs de Provence (Make your own)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried savory
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp dried rosemary
- 5 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried basil
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a clean, dry jar. Shake well.
Nutrition
About the Author: Bill Bradley, R.D.
This Herb mixture is the BEST I have ever tasted it is AWESOME thanks for sharing this I will be using this a lot. I gave it a 5 stars but it is worth a lot more than 5 stars
I lived in Versailles for a time, shopped the local markets and tried the local flavors. I never found a French-produced herbs de provence mix containing lavender. Your recipe takes me to that taste and aroma I associate with Provencal dishes found in France.
Great mix. And just add some garlic powder and chili flakes to use as Italian mix
This is excellent !!!!! I started using this and my cookouts are the stuff of legends ………
That’s awesome! What did you make with it?!