mia592•11d ago

Faced a choice between fresh herbs and dried ones for my soup this week

I was making a big pot of lentil soup to last a few days, and my recipe called for rosemary and thyme. At the store, a small pack of fresh rosemary was $3.50, but a jar of dried herbs was $2.00 and would last for months. I picked the dried jar, even though I love fresh herbs. I was worried the flavor would be weak, so I added it early while the onions were cooking to let it bloom in the oil. It actually worked great and gave the whole pot a nice, deep taste. The soup cost about $8 total to make, and it fed me for four meals. I saved that $1.50 to put toward a bag of rice next trip. Has anyone found other ways to make dried herbs taste stronger in slow-cooked dishes?

2 comments

2 Comments

tessa_hill8611d ago

Honestly I used to think fresh herbs were always better. But that trick of adding dried ones early to bloom in the oil totally changed my mind. It really does make a big difference.

matthewf4011d ago

Try fresh basil at the very end, it keeps that bright flavor you just can't get from dried.