Match Herbs and Spices With the Right Vegetables

Vegetables come in a wide variety of flavors ranging from sweet to spicy to fresh to earthy, just to name a few. 

With so many flavors, it’s no wonder how a few herbs and spices can completely change a dish’s profile!

Here are some common vegetables ,and the herbs and spices you can use to enhance their natural flavor.

Best spices and herbs for common vegetables

Acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash & pumpkin

These nutty gourds go well with sweet, earthy spices and cooling herbs. Use cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla for a sweet kick, then balance it with sage or mint.

Arugula

Arugula’s slightly spicy taste pairs well with cooling herbs like basil, mint, dill. It also goes well with a bit of garlic to balance the tang.

Asparagus

This woody vegetable is balanced well with fresh, cool flavors like dill, ginger, mint, fennel seeds and tarragon. 

Beets

Beets have a strong taste, so use herbs and spices that can cut through the earthiness of the root. Sweet spices like cinnamon and cardamom add a nice lift to the flavor, while strong herbs like rosemary and chives can cut through the beet’s strong flavor to shine through on the palette.

Bell peppers

You can’t go wrong with bell peppers — they're just about as versatile as anything! The sweet pepper pairs well with most Italian herbs, especially cilantro, basil, parsley and oregano.

Bok choy

This vegetable is best paired with spices and herbs that offer strong flavors to balance the leafy taste and texture. Garlic is a popular choice, as is mint, cayenne pepper and ginger. 

Broccoli

Broccoli isn't the most flavorful of vegetables, so pair it with a spice or herb that adds another component of flavor to the greens. Ginger adds a sweet, spicy kick; coriander seeds add a pop of freshness; chili peppers add some heat and roasted garlic adds some earthiness. 

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a blank canvas upon which spices and herbs shine. Turmeric, curry powder and chili powder work well here for a rich, earthy taste. Rosemary, parsley and mint make for a cooler, lighter flavor combination.

Celery & cucumber

Celery and cucumber are light and fresh vegetables by nature, so pair them with light and fresh spices and herbs of equal measure. Herbs work best here, like chives, parsley, oregano and basil. Add mint or dill to give them more zing!

Corn

Corn is such a versatile dish that it naturally lends itself to a plethora of flavor combinations! Use sweet spices like cinnamon for a nutty, earthy flavor; use parsley, basil or tarragon for a simple-yet-effective buttery taste; or use mint, dill or cilantro for zesty, fresh pop of flavor!

Eggplant

This meaty vegetable has a unique taste on its own, so choose spices and herbs that don’t overpower the vegetable’s natural qualities. Use thyme, basil and oregano to complement the eggplant’s woodiness, or use cilantro or fennel seeds to give it a fresh lift!

Green beans

These woody, crunchy legumes pair excellently with a good ol’ Italian herb mix— basil, oregano, parsley and thyme, etc. Add some chives if you want a fresh, slightly spicy kick.

Kale

Kale is more dense and bitter than most other leafy greens, so it can handle stronger spices. Ginger brings out the slight spice in the green, as does garlic and chili powder. Use mint or parsley for a hint of freshness that doesn’t overpower the vegetable’s natural flavor. 

Leeks

You’d better get some replacement dishes soon, because you’re about to put leeks in all of them! 

But seriously, we don't cook leeks enough as a society, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that we just don’t know how to make them not taste like a large, crunchy blade of grass.

Sauté rings of this vegetable with some gentle herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, then add a kick of paprika and celery salt to add some sweetness. 

Mushrooms

Mushrooms come in a variety of flavors, like nutty porcinis, buttery chanterelles and meaty morels. For wild mushrooms like those, you can rely on the flavor of the mushrooms themselves to shine bright enough on their own without the aid of spices and hers. If anything, use just  a tiny bit of garlic if you're wanting to add another flavor.

For regular button mushrooms, however, feel free to add flavors like dill, parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil and garlic to the already-flavorful fungi. Cooked button mushrooms have a slightly nutty taste, so they don’t need too much else to make them taste good.

Onion

Onions change flavor depending on how long you cook them, so alter your spices and herbs depending on the final product. Onions on the raw end go well with cilantro, while onions on the more caramelized end go well with thyme, rosemary, basil and parsley. They also work well with earthy spices like turmeric, curry powder and chili powder.

Peas

Peas are light and fresh, so use flavors that are also of that general ilk. Dill, ginger and mint give peas a kick of freshness and cool flavor, while parsley and basil add just a touch of aromatics.

Potatoes

Potatoes are meaty vegetables that pair well with woody herbs and savory spices like rosemary, thyme, sage, dill, chives and garlic.

Sweet potatoes & carrots

These vegetables take on a sweet, nutty flavor when cooked, so pair them with sweet flavors like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. For a more savory taste, use parsley, cilantro, rosemary and basil to add a touch of leafy flavor. 

Radishes

These small vegetables pack a punchy, spicy taste on their own, so they are best paired with flavors that complement the already strong flavor profile. Fresh, cool flavors like mint, fennel seeds, dill and thyme go well here. 

Rhubarb

Another vegetable that is on the sweeter side when cooked, rhubarb pairs well with spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, vanilla and cardamom.

Spinach

Let’s be honest, our favorite leaf seems to go well with everything. Even so, there are some herbs and spices that especially shine with this earthy green. Use garlic and chili powder to bring out an earthy flavor, mint and dill to bring out some cooler flavors, tarragon and rosemary to add a woody taste, and basil and oregano for a small hint of freshness. 

Tomatoes

This acidic vegetable needs freshness to balance it out and sweetness to complement it. Chili powder, chives and paprika add a hint of heat and sweet, while your classic Italian herbs like basil, parsley, thyme and oregano will balance it out with earthy freshness. 

Zucchini

Zucchini gets sweet and nutty as it’s cooked, so pair it with earthy spices and herbs to bring out its best flavor. Basil, oregano, tarragon and dill are good herbs to use, and spices like cayenne, paprika, cumin, turmeric and chili powder add that extra earthy component to this tasty veggie.

So, there you have it! This list doesn’t cover every single vegetable and spice combination by any means, but its a good start to understanding why certain spices and herbs go with certain vegetables. 

Next time you’re cooking with vegetables, give some of these spice combinations a try or see if you can make any new ones!

Bon appetit!

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/Sponchia