Five ideas for leftover herbs

How often do you buy a bunch of parsley or basil or dill for a recipe, use the small amount that you need, and end up finding the slimy remains in the back of the fridge three weeks later? It happens to me more often than I’d like to admit, but I’m trying to change my ways. In an effort to waste less and avoid throwing my grocery money in the trash, here’s five delicious ideas for using up leftover herbs.

1. Add them to hummus. The other week, I threw half a bunch of leftover parsley into the food processor when I was making hummus, and it was great! It gave the hummus a nice fresh flavor, lots of pretty green flecks, and an extra boost of nutrition. (Did you know parsley is rich in vitamins, and can help support healthy kidney function, blood pressure, and digestion?)

2. Sprinkle them on your eggs. If you want to make an ordinary omelet or plate of scrambled eggs automatically feel worthy of a special occasion, garnish them with some fresh herbs. Suddenly, you might be tempted to bust out the tablecloth and some flowers! I really like chives on my eggs, but dill, tarragon, parsley, or basil are equally tasty.

3. Flavor your vinaigrette. Plain vinaigrette gets boring, but adding some herbs will make your salad dressing feel new again. If you’re a toss-everything-in-a-jar-and-shake kind of person (that would be me), whisk in some chopped herbs at the end. If you make your vinaigrette in a blender or food processor, add your herbs before whizzing everything together to make your dressing a pretty green color.

4. Make an herby sauce. Italians call it salsa verde, Argentinians call it chimichurri. Really, though they’re just variations on fresh, bright sauces that involve a mishmash of herbs (really, any combination is works), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and some salt. Blend everything together and drizzle it over whatever you're eating to make said food taste even better. I like drizzling herb sauce on crisped up seitan, chickpeas, or fresh corn, but more traditional pairings tend to go the route of fish, chicken, or lamb. Whatever you like!

5. Stick them in a sandwich. Swap out your usual lettuce for a bunch of herbs. Right now, basil leaves will help you make the most of late-season tomato sandwiches. Dill with cucumber and cream cheese is really good, too! 

Image: azmichelle on Flickr.