Matching herbs and spices with vegetables helps you to enhance and complement any vegetarian dish.
Herbs and spices are parts of plants that are used for flavouring, food, medicine, or perfume. Herbs refer to the leafy green parts of a plant, whilst a spice is derived from seeds, berries, bark, roots and fruits.
Many spices have antimicrobial properties that protect against infectious diseases. Turmeric is known to help prevent cancer, and garlic is an excellent antibiotic. Always choose fresh herbs and spices over dried.
The following table will help you make the best choices with regard to matching herbs and spices with your favourite vegetables.
| Vegetable | Herb/Spice |
| Artichokes | Parsley, bay leaves, coriander, paprika |
| Asparagus | Dill, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary |
| Beetroot | Pepper, coriander, thyme, dill, chives, ginger, cloves, sage |
| Broccoli | Garlic, marjoram, nutmeg |
| Brussels sprouts | Rosemary, parsley, caraway, nutmeg, oregano, marjoram |
| Cabbage | Bay leaves, garlic, curry, marjoram, nutmeg, chives, parsley |
| Carrots | Parsley, basil, curry, chives, sage, thyme |
| Cauliflower | Basil, dill, mace, ginger, curry, nutmeg, oregano, coriander, mint |
| Courgette/Zucchini | Garlic, basil, parsley, oregano |
| Cucumber | Rosemary, dill, mustard, pepper, basil, chives |
| Aubergine/Brinjal | Garlic, parsley, mint, sage, curry, basil, rosemary, oregano |
| Green beans | Garlic, basil, dill, nutmeg, pepper |
| Leeks | Mustard, parsley, dill, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, celery salt |
| Lettuce | Basil, chives, thyme, tarragon, dill, parsley |
| Mushrooms | Olives, ginger, cumin, parsley, thyme |
| Onions | Paprika, celery salt, pepper, coriander, basil, garlic, marjoram, sage |
| Peas | Tarragon, mint, parsley, nutmeg, sage, marjoram, basil |
| Potatoes | Garlic, nutmeg, paprika, pepper, rosemary, thyme |
| Swiss chard | Nutmeg, basil, coriander, sage, marjoram, bay leaves, garlic, rosemary |
| Tomatoes | Basil, tarragon, garlic, chives, dill, mint, oregano, paprika, fennel, parsley, thyme |
Other food matches
Herbs and spices such as basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, mint, sage, garlic, cardamom, turmeric, coriander, saffron, and paprika can also be added to pasta and rice, whilst no Italian could imagine a pizza without lots of fresh herbs.
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