How to Make Herb Substitutions

Substituting Dried Herbs for Fresh Herbs

Use a three to one ratio of fresh to dried herbs in substitutions. If your recipe calls for a tablespoon of fresh oregano or any other herb, you can substitute it with a teaspoon of the dried herb. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor, so remember to use less of them than the recipe calls for fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are often used to give the dish a lively and fresh flavor, so be aware that using an herb substitution will make the dish taste different. The flavors will be more concentrated but you won’t get the liveliness offered by fresh herbs.

Substitute dried or powdered sage for fresh sage. If you run out of fresh sage for the Thanksgiving turkey or another meat dish, you can always use the dried variety. Remember that dried sage has a more concentrated flavor, so you should use a third of the fresh sage that the recipe asks for.

Replace fresh rosemary with dried rosemary. Rosemary is often used in baking, sauces, and on meats in Mediterranean dishes. If you run out of fresh rosemary, you can always use the dried variety. Remember to only use a third of the amount of fresh rosemary called for in the recipe.

Replace fresh mint with dried mint. Mint is a wonderful addition to savory dishes and is used in many desserts as well as drinks like tea or a mojito. If your recipe calls for a tablespoon of chopped fresh mint, add a teaspoon of the dried variety in its place.

Substitute dried cilantro for fresh cilantro. Dried cilantro does not work well if the dish is calling for a cilantro garnish but should work fine if the cilantro is integrated into the main dish. If the recipe calls for a large amount of fresh cilantro, you might want to make a different recipe.

Replacing One Herb with Another Herb

Replace a bay leaf with thyme or oregano. Simply add a quarter teaspoon of either dried thyme or oregano for each bay leaf in your recipe. For example, if you need a bay leaf for your stew but have run out, you can always use a quarter teaspoon of either thyme or oregano to replace it.

Replace cumin with caraway seeds. Caraway and cumin are related, since they are both in the parsley family. They also have a similar taste, although cumin has a nutty and smoky flavor whereas caraway has sweet and earthy tones. Start with a little less caraway than the recipe lists for cumin and then build it up to get the flavor profile you desire. You can also replace the cumin with ground coriander but you should be aware that it won’t be as smoky and nutty in flavor. The coriander will give it more of a lemony flavor.

Replace cilantro with a mix of parsley, tarragon and dill. If you need a substitute for fresh cilantro, you can use an equivalent amount of fresh parsley, tarragon, or dill. Alternately, combine a bit of all three to replace an equal amount of cilantro. The substitute works best for garnishes.

Use cumin, fennel or caraway to replace coriander. If you need to replace coriander seed or ground coriander, you can use an equivalent amount of cumin, fennel or caraway seeds. You can also use a combination of all three.

Use other Mediterranean herbs to replace sage. If you run out of both fresh and dried sage, you can always replace it with an equivalent amount of a similar Mediterranean herb. For example, you could use any of the following substitutions: Substitute marjoram for sage. It is savory like sage but has more citrus tones. Substitute rosemary for sage. Rosemary has more pine and citrus tones than sage but can work fine. Substitute thyme for sage. It has more mint notes than sage but will work nicely. Substitute savory for sage. It has a similar peppery flavor to sage so use it if you want to really bring out the peppery side of a dish.

Replace summer savory with winter savory. Savory is used in a lot of Mediterranean cooking and especially with meats and bean dishes, as well as vegetable dishes with mushrooms. Winter savory has a bit of a stronger taste so keep that in mind when adding the summer savory. You can also use any of the following substitutions: Replace summer savory with thyme and a little bit of mint. Replace summer savory with a mix of half parsley and half celery leaves.

Using Spice Mixes in Herb Substitutions

Solve an absence of fresh or dried sage by using poultry seasoning. Sage has a peppery and earthy flavor. Poultry seasoning has a similar flavor profile, partly because it contains sage alongside other herbs. Use the same amount of poultry seasoning as your recipe calls for sage. Some poultry seasonings contain salt so you may need to adjust the recipe to keep it from being too salty.

Substitute cumin with chili seasoning. This way you can get some cumin in your recipe, since cumin is contained in chili seasoning, but you should be mindful of the other spices in chili seasoning. These other spices include cayenne, paprika, garlic and onion powder. You can also substitute cumin with garam masala. This spice mix contains cumin as well as coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. It sometimes also includes additional spices such as fennel. Start with half as much as you planned to use of cumin, and then build it up until you get a good taste in your recipe.

Make your own Ras el hanout spice mix. If you run out of Ras el hanout spice mix, you can always make your own. Mix equal parts paprika, coriander, ginger and a pinch of saffron. Alternately, you could just use ground coriander as a substitute for Ras el hanout. It will not have the same complexity but should work fine.

Make a simple version of bahārāt spice mix. If you run out of bahārāt spice mix, you could make your own with equal parts paprika, cumin and cinnamon. You could also just replace bahārāt spice mix with cumin.

Use black pepper or curry powder to replace garam masala. If you run out of garam masala for your dish, you can always just use some black pepper or mild curry powder to add some heat. You could also replace garam masala by making a version using as many of the ingredients usually found in it as you can find in your home. Toast two tablespoons of coriander; one tablespoon each of cumin, cardamom, and whole black peppercorns; one teaspoon each of fennel and mustard seed; half a teaspoon of whole cloves; and two dried red chile peppers over medium heat for two minutes. Then, grind the toasted spices in a coffee grinder and spoon in two tablespoons of ground turmeric. Store the spice mix in a jar.

Make your own herbs de Provence. If you need a substitute for herbs de Provence, try making your own spice mix. You can use a spice mill or coffee grinder to mix two teaspoons of dried thyme, two teaspoons of dried savory, one teaspoon of dried marjoram, one teaspoon of dried lavender, half a teaspoon of dried rosemary, half a teaspoon of fennel seeds, and one crushed bay leaf.