This is a recipe for Herbes de Provence, a classic French herb blend. It can be surprisingly hard to find outside France so I’m sharing my recipe. Made with just 4 herbs – rosemary, thyme, oregano and marjoram – it brings the unmistakable flavour of southern France to chicken, roasted vegetables, stews, fish or even a quick salad dressing.
Herbes de Provence
The literal translation of “Herbes de Provence” is “herbs of Provence,” simply meaning herbs from the Provence region, a historic area in southeastern France along the Mediterranean coast. The name appears often in cooking because the cuisine of this region relies on herbs that grow abundantly in the area, like thyme, rosemary and oregano – the same herbs that make up Herbes de Provence.
It’s a blend that pops up in plenty of French recipes, including some I’ll be sharing such as the French Pork Schnitzel (escalope de porc panée) I also published today. But it can be hard to find at regular grocery stores outside of France. So I thought it would be useful to share my recipe – especially because it’s just 4 simple herbs!
The herbs that go in Herbes de Provence
There’s no single traditional recipe for Herbs de Provence. The blend I use includes herbs typically featured – rosemary, thyme, marjoram and oregano. But you’ll see other versions with a variety of other herbs (and sometimes spices) including savory, basil, parsley, bay leaves, chervil, sage or mint, and in North America, lavender is sometimes present.
The mix I use tastes like the Herbs de Provence I used in restaurant kitchens in France. I find some recipes go a bit overboard with too many herbs and end up with the wrong flavour. The classic profile should be led by thyme and rosemary, with the other herbs sitting quietly in the background. This recipes keeps the balance right so you get that clean, fragrant southern French flavour rather than a random pile of dried herbs.
As long as the herbs you used are fresh, this homemade Herbs de Provence will keep for at least 3 months in a jar, in a cool pantry. Use it to make the French Schnitzel Escalope de Porc Panée I published today – and keep the rest for more French classics I have coming up.
Bon appetit! – Chef JB
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Herbes de Provence
Prep: 5 minutes
herb blend, Spice Mix
French, Provencial french
Servings5 tablespoons
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Instructions
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Finely chop if needed – If any of the leaves are especially large (rosemary and thyme can be), finely chop them with a knife or use a spice grinder. You will get more flavour out of them.
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Mix the dried herbs then use per recipe.
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Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry pantry for up to 3 months (or the shelf life of the herbs you used).
Recipe Notes:
2. Marjoram or savory – In France, savory (sarriette) is traditionally part of the blend. However, it can be quite hard to find. Marjoram has a similar gentle herbal flavour and is more widely available here in Australia, which is why I chose to use it in this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 7calCarbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 0.2gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1g (1%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 21mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 89IU (2%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 41mg (4%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
