16 Garden Herbs for Flavorful Soups, Stews, and Chowders

Do you enjoy making soup in winter? Our list of herbs will boost the flavor of vegetable soup, potato soup, chicken soup – any soup, chowder, or stew! See our list of herbs for vegetable soup and other delicious soup recipes below.

Herbs for mild-flavored soups include:

Anise

Anise plant is native to the Mediterranean and has a flavor similar to licorice. It is a bushy ornamental herb with lacy leaves. Growing anise provides flavorful seeds for baked goods, curries, and flavoring liqueurs. Consider adding anise to amplify the flavor in soups such as pho. (Photoed above).

Bay Leaf

Bay leaves add an ‘earthy’ flavor to stews, soups, sauces, vegetables, and grilled meats. Drop a bay leaf in the pot to infuse rich flavor. Remove leaves before serving. Larger leaves will add the most flavor to dishes. Dry bay leaves before storing them in a sealed container.

Basil

Basil is a strong-flavored herb that tastes similar to licorice or cloves. It is used in many Italian dishes, including pasta sauces and pestos. This popular herb is also used as an ingredient in Mediterranean fare.

Coriander

Coriander is a hard, light-brown seed derived from the cilantro plant. When used for cooking, coriander seeds are ground into a powder. Coriander is used as a part of pickling spices and is used in Indian, Asian, Latin, and Middle Eastern dishes.

Dill

Dill is used in fish, vegetable, egg, and meat dishes. The distinctive flavor is best when added late in cooking because the seeds tend to lose their flavor when heated. Dill leaves have a more pungent taste than dried dill seeds. Dill is popular as a pickling herb and in salad dressings and sauces.

Fennel

The seeds, stems, and leaves of fennel are used for culinary purposes. Fennel seed is often used when making sausage or sprinkled on pizza. Fennel is similar to licorice or anise in flavor. This herb is ideal for use in soups, stews, and fish dishes.

Salad burnet

Salad burnet is prized for its cucumber-like flavor and is used in soups, salads, beverages, and vinegar blends. Pick and use tender, new leaves in culinary recipes. Older leaves may be bitter tasting.

Herbs for medium to bold-flavored soups include:

French Sorrel

For the best flavor, use freshly-picked French sorrel leaves. Also, the leaves freeze well for future use. Add French sorrel to soups, salads, pork, fish, and cheese dishes. French sorrel has a high amount of acid and may not be a good choice for those with certain health conditions.

French Tarragon

Tarragon is a popular ingredient in salads, marinades, dressings, oils, and vinegar blends. It’s best to use French tarragon fresh as the dried leaves will lose their flavor. Harvest leaves and stem tips throughout the growing season.

Garlic

Harvest garlic bulbs when the lower leaves start to turn brown. Garlic is an aromatic herb used both cooked and fresh in a wide array of dishes, including Italian, chicken, pasta, and potato recipes. Garlic is a popular ingredient in potato soup.

View the recipe for Baked Potato Soup courtesy of Texas A&M Agrilife Extension here.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm’s bright, citrusy taste is popular in soups, stews, salads – also fish, pork, and egg dishes. It is also used as an ingredient in teas, jellies, and vinegar blends. Dry lemon balm by cutting stems and bundling them together with a piece of twine. Hang in a warm, well-ventilated spot to dry. When the stems are dry, remove the dried leaves and store them in an airtight container.

Lovage

The leaves and stems of lovage can be used fresh anytime during the growing season. Lovage is used in soups, salads, teas, and chicken dishes. Harvest leaves when young when they are tender.

Oregano

Oregano is popular in Italian, vegetable, and tomato-based dishes. Both fresh and dried oregano have a similar flavor intensity and may be used interchangeably in recipes. Oregano is sometimes called wild marjoram.

Popular herbs for vegetable soup include oregano, garlic, and thyme.

View the recipe for Vegetable Black Bean Soup, courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension, here.

Rosemary

Rosemary grows as a small shrub in the garden. The leaves taste slightly minty and sage-like. Rosemary is used in tomato sauces, soups, dressing, meats, fish, and vegetable dishes. Both the fresh and dried leaves impart a strong aroma and flavor to dishes. Rosemary can add a flavorful boost to a batch of roasted butternut squash soup.

Sage

Sage is a highly-flavored herb with a bitter, minty taste. It’s often paired with other strong-tasting herbs in pork, chicken, beef, and sausage dishes. Both dried and fresh sage leaves can be used interchangeably in recipes. Sage has a strong flavor so use a small amount in recipes.

Thyme

Thyme is popular in soups, sauces, stuffing, and stews and poultry, fish, and meat dishes. Furthermore, the leaves may be used fresh or dry. This flavorful herb is often used in combination with oregano, rosemary, and parsley. Use thyme in small amounts when cooking, as it has a bold flavor.

This herb is a popular ingredient in chicken soup.

View the recipe for Chicken Vegetable Soup, courtesy of Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, here.

Bonus Recipe: Make herb butter for your bread. Combine 1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped herb, 1½ teaspoons of dried herb, or ½ teaspoon of dried herb seed to each ¼ pound of room temperature butter. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours so flavors will blend.