Maybe you bought a bundle of dill and only needed a pinch for a recipe, or your parsley is growing like a weed this year and you're out of ideas. No matter the situation, it always feels great to prevent waste and put fresh herbs to good use! These 25 delicious vegan recipes made with fresh herbs will help.
This post was originally published in March 2019; it has been updated for content and republished January 2021.
Fresh herbs have a way of elevating a dish from good to WOW with barely any extra effort on our part. Herbs look beautiful, smell amazing, and flavor-wise, there's just nothing like them!
Favorites like basil, parsley, thyme, dill, rosemary, mint, sage, oregano, and cilantro are all represented in this list. Oh, and in addition to being beautiful and delicious, let's not forget that herbs are incredibly nutritious.
I asked my blogger friends for their best recipes using fresh herbs, and they delivered some amazing dishes! We have everything from appetizers and salads, to smoothies, cheeses, cookies, and even a cocktail. I've also included many of my own recipes that call for fresh herbs.
I hope this list fills you with ideas and inspires you to incorporate more herbs into your meals. And if you've thought about growing your own herbs but haven't ventured there yet, maybe this is the year!
1. Warmed Castelvetrano Olives With Lemon and Garlic
With fresh thyme by Cadry's Kitchen
This elegant appetizer of buttery castelvetrano olives is a must for celebrations and holidays. Warmed in a skillet with garlic, thyme, and lemon zest, these are an absolute dream for olive lovers.
2. Warm Potato Salad With Herbs
Including dill, parsley, chives and chive blossoms by Wholehearted Eats
Made with fresh green beans, shallots, and herbs, this German-style potato salad is perfect for picnics, cookouts, and leisurely summer dinners on the patio.
3. Jackfruit, Mango and Dill Salad
With fresh dill by My Quiet Kitchen
Jackfruit is a fantastic substitute for crab in this fresh and flavorful vegan appetizer made with roasted poblano peppers and mango.
4. Garlic Herb Almond Cheese Spread
Using parsley, dill or chives by Delightful Adventures
This herbed almond cheese is so versatile. Serve it as an appetizer, or spread it on sandwiches, bagels, potatoes, and crackers for a delicious snack.
5. Zhoug Sauce
With heaps of fresh cilantro by My Quiet Kitchen
An oil-free take on the popular Middle Easter condiment, the spice level of this zhoug sauce is easily adjusted. It tastes amazing on grain bowls, sandwiches, wraps, falafel, and tacos.
6. Spicy Zhoug Brussels Sprouts Pasta
With the cilantro-rich zhoug listed above, by My Quiet Kitchen
After you fall in love with homemade zhoug it's easy to find ways to use it, like this nutritious 30-minute meal! Brussels sprouts are quickly shredded then sautéed and combined with zhoug plus your favorite pasta.
7. Raw Veggie Chopped Salad
With dill and parsley by Veggie Inspired
Sometimes you want a veggie-rich salad that's perfect for potlucks and summer cookouts, with no wilting lettuce leaves in sight. That's exactly what Jenn put together in this chopped salad recipe. It's oil-free and features broccoli, radishes, colorful peppers, cucumber and a tangy maple-dijon dressing.
8. Tabbouleh-Inspired Bean Burgers
With parsley and mint by My Quiet Kitchen
Inspired by the flavors of tabbouleh, these hearty chickpea burgers are a favorite on our house.
9. Parsley-Dill Pesto
With a full cup of parsley and ½ cup dill by My Quiet Kitchen
This alternative pesto comes together in minutes and is so delicious it just might replace basil pesto in some of your favorite recipes!
10. Vegan Pesto Stuffed Crust Pizza
With fresh basil pesto by My Quiet Kitchen
One of our favorite homemade pizzas, this one combines a homemade herb crust, marinara, vegan mozzarella, fresh basil pesto, and thinly sliced potato.
11. Oil-Free Cream Cheese With Herbs
With your choice of thyme, rosemary, chives, and/or oregano from the cookbook Crave, Eat, Heal by Annie Oliverio; recipe shared by Becky of Glue & Glitter
This plant-based cream cheese uses cashews and coconut to create a luxurious cream cheese without any oil.
12. Greek Goddess Quinoa Salad
Featuring parsley and cilantro by Very Vegan Val
Marrying the flavors of a Greek salad with green goddess dressing (think Kalamata olives, cucumber, spinach, herbs and tofu), I can definitely make a meal out of this gorgeous quinoa salad.
13. Green Chickpea Hummus
With parsley and basil by Dreena Burton
Have you ever tried green chickpeas? Dreena came up with this super nutritious hummus recipe that uses blanched green chickpeas plus lemon, basil, parsley, garlic, and a hint of cumin.
14. Seitan Bourguignon With Rosemary Cauliflower Mash
Featuring thyme and rosemary by My Quiet Kitchen
This dish couldn't be easier to prepare but feels oh so special. It's perfect for date night!
15. Santa Cruz Beach Veggie Burritos
With loads of cilantro...including the flavorful stems by Healthy Happy Life
Packed with your favorite fillings, I love Kathy's story about the inspiration for these beach-worthy burritos. And I'm definitely taking her advice about using cilantro stems.
16. Pasta Salad With Parsley-Dill Pesto
With parsley and dill by My Quiet Kitchen
With fresh tomatoes and cucumber, this beautiful pasta salad is like summer in a bowl.
17. Easy Baked Falafel Wraps
With cilantro or parsley by This Healthy Kitchen
These lightened up baked falafel are easy to make, easy to eat, and also gluten-free.
18. Baked Farro With Tomatoes and Herbs
With parsley and basil from the 10th Anniversary Edition of Isa Chandra's Veganomicon, shared by Yup It's Vegan
I love the chewy and satisfying texture of farro, and with shallot, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs, you know this dish is a winner! Have this impressive casserole on the table in one hour.
19. Mushroom-Sage Orzotto
With fresh sage by My Quiet Kitchen
This creamy, buttery, risotto-style barley is a lovely and unexpected side dish during the holiday season.
20. Chimichurri Mushroom Tacos
With parsley and oregano by Veggies Save the Day
Easy to make in under 30 minutes, and you won't miss the meat in these tangy and flavorful tacos!
21. Mango Mint Yogurt Smoothie
With mint, obviously by My Quiet Kitchen
This 6-ingredient vegan smoothie is so refreshing and tastes great any time of day.
22. Blackberry Mojito Overnight Oats
From OATrageous Oatmeals by Kathy of Healthy Slow Cooking
If your overnight oats are feeling a bit blah, Kathy has you covered with this cocktail-inspired breakfast featuring fresh mint.
23. Raspberry and Thyme Gin Cocktail
With a teaspoon of fresh thyme in every glass by Healthy Slow Cooking
And now for a cocktail, with suggestions for incorporating different liquors (or sparkling wine) if you're not into gin.
24. Rosemary Tahini Cookies
With rosemary by My Quiet Kitchen
These oil-free vegan tahini cookies are both crisp and chewy and melt in your mouth with rich sesame and rosemary flavor. Try them with or without chocolate chips!
25. Rosemary Cookies With Roasted Honeynut Squash
Again with rosemary, and again by me, My Quiet Kitchen
These sweet and rich rosemary cookies feature colorful bites of roasted honeynut squash. Don't knock it till you've tried it!
How to Store Fresh Herbs
Check out these bonus tips from Active Vegetarian on how to store fresh herbs, plus some of the varied nutritional benefits.
----> Health Benefits of Herbs and How to Keep Them Fresh
Lori
Thank you! I love basil, and that soup sounds amazing. 🙂
Lori
Nele, you're so welcome. The falafel looks delicious! Thanks for stopping by!
Zuzana
Excellent post! Love the recipe line up, so many good ones to try 😉 Thank you for including our guide to storing herbs.
Lori
Absolutely! Thanks so much for submitting it, Zuzana.
Cadry
Oh, my gosh. This all looks INCREDIBLE. I want to eat every dish - from top to bottom. Thank you for including my olive recipe!
Lori
Exactly what I was thinking while putting it together. So much yum. Thank you for creating such wonderful recipes, Cadry!