Italian Herb Blend

Homemade Italian Herb Blend is a seasoning of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and rosemary combined with aromatic garlic and onion, which gives your recipes an Italian flavor. This recipe is easy to make since you probably have everything you need to make it in your spice cabinet. 

What Is Italian Herb Blend?

Italian herb blend, also known as Italian seasoning, is a combination of herbs commonly added to Italian recipes. This particular recipe for Italian herb blend includes dried basil, oregano, Italian parsley, marjoram, and crushed rosemary. Additionally, I include dehydrated garlic and minced onion to add more flavor to the Italian herb blend mixture. 

Italian herb blend is not authentically Italian but a shortcut recipe that adds the flavors common to Italian cuisine. Most old-school Italians would never dream of using a seasoning blend to cook with. However, this recipe is a simple, efficient way to add flavor to meals with little effort. Sorry, Nonna.

What Ingredients Are In This Italian Herb Blend?

To make an Italian herb blend, you need dried basil, minced garlic, minced onion, dried oregano, dried Italian parsley, dried marjoram, and crushed rosemary. 

You also need a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and a jar to store the herb blend in. 

How Do I Get The Most Flavor Out Of My Herb Blend?

Grinding dried spices and herbs is the best way to coax their flavors out. The oils in dried herbs and spices are released when ground or crushed, adding more flavor to the recipes they’re used in. 

To get the most flavor out of your herb blend, begin by crushing the dehydrated, minced onion and the Italian parsley using a mortar and pestle. You can also use a coffee grinder for this step. This will allow the flavors of the two ingredients to come out and make a finer blend. The larger pieces of onion and parsley will throw off the balance of the herb blend. Not by a lot, but enough to notice. 

How Far Ahead Can I Make This?

Add the basil, minced garlic, oregano, crushed rosemary, and marjoram to the mortar. Use the pestle to gently grind and combine the herbs in the mortar. 

Transfer the mixture to a glass spice jar or similar airtight container. 

Herb blends retain their flavor for 2 years if you store them properly. You can make this recipe 2 years ahead of using it. 

Can I Swap Or Substitute Any Of The Ingredients?

The key ingredients in the Italian herb blend are basil, oregano, and rosemary. I recommend using them, but you can swap or substitute the other ingredients. 

Swaps include:

• Replacing the minced garlic and onion with granulated garlic and onion powder.
• Using regular dried parsley instead of Italian parsley. 

Substitutes you can make in this recipe include:

• Omitting the minced garlic and onion.
• Replacing the marjoram with thyme or rubbed sage.
• Use thyme or rubbed sage instead of crushed rosemary.
• Make it spicy by adding a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. 

Be sure to grind down dried rosemary leaves if you plan to use them instead of crushed rosemary. Whole, dried rosemary is very tough and unpleasant to eat if you don’t grind it down. 

What’s The Best Way To Store Seasoning Blends?

Store the Italian herb blend in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 years. Always store spice mixtures in a cool, dark place in the kitchen or pantry to keep the flavors fresh. Avoid storing these mixtures over the stove, where temperatures and moisture fluctuate. Fluctuations in temperature and moisture cause your herb blends to swell and release their oils, which can cause them to grow mold and/or lose their potency faster.

How Do I Use It?

To use Italian herb blend, add 1 teaspoon per pound of meat or use it as directed in place of store-bought Italian seasoning. 

I like adding it to soups, stews, casseroles, and salad dressings. Use it in your meat sauces, pasta salads or to add interest to your favorite dips. 

This Italian Herb Blend is a quick-fix recipe that adds tons of flavor to your dishes. It’s so easy to make you’ll never need to spend money on pre-made, store versions again. It’s also a great gift for the foodies in your life, so save it for your holiday gift lists. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your spice mix board and share it with your friends and family. Let me know in the comments how you plan to use this spice blend, too!

Italian Herb Blend

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 16 votes

Homemade Italian Herb Blend is a seasoning of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and rosemary combined with aromatic garlic and onion, which gives your recipes an Italian flavor.

This recipe is easy to make and ready in 10 minutes or less. 

Servings: 27 teaspoons

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• mortar and pestle or coffee grinder
• spice jar (6-ounces or larger)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) minced onion (dehydrated)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (1 gram) Italian parsley flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) minced garlic (dehydrated)
• 2 tablespoons (2 grams) dried oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (2 grams) dried basil
• 1 tablespoon (5 grams) crushed rosemary
• 2 teaspoons (1 gram) dried marjoram

Instructions 

• Add the minced onion and Italian parsley to a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.

  Grind or pulse the two ingredients together until they are the same size as the rest of the herbs.
• If you used the coffee grinder to break down the onion and parsley, pour them out into a separate bowl or container.

  Leave the onion and parsley in the mortar if you used that to break them down.
• Add the minced garlic, oregano leaves, basil, crushed rosemary, and marjoram to the mortar.

  Use the pestle to gently grind and combine the herbs in the mortar. 
• Transfer the mixture to a glass spice jar or similar airtight container. 

  To use Italian herb blend, add 1 teaspoon per pound of meat or use it in any recipe which calls for Italian seasoning. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the minced garlic and onion with 2 teaspoons (3 grams) granulated garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) onion powder.
• Use regular dried parsley instead of Italian parsley.
• Omit the minced garlic and onion.
• Replace the marjoram with thyme or rubbed sage.
• Use thyme or rubbed sage instead of crushed rosemary.
• Make a spicy Italian Herb Blend by adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (1 to 2 grams) of crushed red pepper flakes. 

Tips and Techniques:

• Be sure to grind down dried rosemary leaves if you plan to use them instead of crushed rosemary. Whole, dried rosemary is very tough and unpleasant to eat if you don't grind it down. 
• Herb blends retain their flavor for 2 years if you store them properly.  
• Fluctuations in temperature and moisture cause your herb blends to swell and release their oils, which can cause them to grow mold and/or lose their potency faster.

Storage Instructions:

• Store the Italian herb blend in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 years.
• Always store spice mixtures in a cool, dark place in the kitchen or pantry to keep the flavors fresh.
• Avoid storing the Italian herb blend over the stove, where temperatures and moisture fluctuate.

Nutrition

Calories: 15kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.05gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 87mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 87IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg

Course Spice Blend

Cuisine European

Keyword herb blend, Italian herb blend, spice blend

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