In the midst of winter’s dormancy, certain hardy herbs survive, providing flavor for warming foods that carry us through the cold and rain.
Herbs with strength to brave the season’s chill carry particularly pungent flavor, perfect for the hearty foods that we crave this time of year: stews of meats and root vegetables; thick, steaming soups; pots of simmering beans.
There are others than those highlighted below that can (either naturally or with care) survive the winter months. (Bay laurel, mint, flat-leaf parsley, oregano, and marjoram come to mind, for example.) We’ll consider them our “honorable mentions.” For now, be inspired by the giants of year-round flavor: winter savory, thyme, rosemary, and sage.
Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have pots of these hardy plants on your deck or peeking through the mulch in your garden. If so, enjoy them.
If not, join me in gratitude that fresh herbs are in abundance at our local grocers year-round.
Today’s recipe is for a pot of hearty soup featuring two of winter’s staple veggies, cabbage and kale, and flavored with a couple of the featured goliaths of flavor. It should keep you nourished and warm in the midst of winter.
Bon appétit!
Winter savory
This pungent herb once held a place of dominance in the cooking of Europe, so much so that its name refers not only to the herb, but to an entire segment of cooking.
Winter savory and its cousin, summer savory, are known jointly as “the savories.”
Native to a swath of southern Europe from Spain to Turkey, the two savories were the strongest herbs available to Europeans for cooking until world exploration and trade brought such spices as black pepper to the table.
A perennial herb (the summer variety is an annual), winter savory will return each season from the same root. Where winters are mild, it’s an evergreen plant, providing pungent leaves for cooking year-round.
Winter savory is more intensely flavored than its summer counterpart (a tablespoon of chopped fresh summer savory translates to a teaspoon of winter), with notes of pepper, dill, mint, and pine. Its strong taste marries well with hearty winter dishes.
The herb is particularly favored for flavoring beans, prompting one of its nicknames: “the bean herb.” Its German moniker, bohnenkraut, means just that, and in Italy savory is a stable in bean dishes.
The tough leaves of winter savory hold up well in the pot, making them perfect for the long, slow cooking required for beans.
Other foods with mild tastes benefit from savory’s pungency. Potatoes, for example, are enhanced when given a rub of fresh savory, salt, pepper, and olive oil prior to roasting.
Savory works well in tomato-based dishes (pastas, soups, and the like), and is often used to flavor sausages, particularly in Eastern Europe.
Winter savory’s small, needle-like leaves grow on stems woody enough to be used in hedgerows and the plant was popular in the intricate knot gardens of Tudor England.
And here’s a relatively local connection: a relative of savory native to the Pacific coast inspired the original name of San Francisco, Yerba Buena, which means “good herb.” Early settlers there dried the abundant herb and drank it like tea to cure a variety of ailments.
Thyme
Thyme is such a nimble herb in the kitchen, lending its flavor well to so many dishes, that some have said, “When in doubt, use thyme.”
More than one gardening guru has advised that if you have only one pot to use for an herb planting, plant thyme.
In other words, thyme is a cooking staple, welcome year-round in the kitchen. Thankfully, some varieties, such as English, silver, and creeping, seem to do well in winter gardens.
Thyme is one of the herbs central to the cooking of Provence, France and is featured in the popular “herbs de Provence” dried herb mixture, along with lavender, fennel and a variety of other herbs.
It’s also commonly used in the traditional French “bouquet garni,” a bundle of fresh herbs tied with kitchen spring or enclosed in cheesecloth and dropped into a pot of soup or stew to flavor it.
Thyme is so versatile that it might be easier to list what thyme doesn’t complement, rather than what it does.
It goes with almost all meats, including fish, beef, chicken, lamb, and pork. Even some game animals, such as venison or rabbit, benefit from its flavor.
It pairs well with sweet vegetables, such as carrots; meaty vegetables, such as mushrooms and eggplant; and with vegetable staples onions and tomatoes.
It even has a place in sweet cuisine, working beautifully with fruits such as figs, peaches, and strawberries.
While thyme is wonderful with lighter summer fare, it’s also in its element seasoning hearty winter stews, soups, and ragouts.
Thyme is a companionable herb; it lends flavor but doesn’t overpower, making it blend well with a variety of herbs and spices.
Flavors as diverse as mint, lemon, rosemary, cloves, paprika, mustard, and coriander marry well with thyme. And that’s the short list.
Even its name displays its multifaceted character. The word “thyme” may be traced to ancient Greek, where it was derived from either a word meaning “courage,” appropriate for its invigorating quality, or from one meaning “to fumigate,” since the burning of thyme was used to chase stinging insects from ancient Greek homes.
Rosemary
Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region, particularly along the coastal hills of Spain and Portugal.
Its name derives from the Latin word “rosmarinus,” which translates to “dew of the sea,” a reference to its needing no more water than the humidity from the sea to survive in many areas.
And it’s true that rosemary thrives in dry conditions. It does well in California’s Mediterranean-like climate, even in times of drought.
An evergreen, rosemary’s pine needle-like foliage, gray-green in color, grows abundantly on woody stalks. Its hardiness and its ability to hang in pots, crawl along the ground, and be used in a hedgerow, make it a favorite landscaping plant.
Rosemary has a strong flavor, so is best used with a bit of caution in culinary applications, since it doesn’t take much to overpower a dish with its flavor.
While it’s a favorite for summer grilling, it also lends aromatic flavor to comforting winter dishes like sherry-braised pork, baked chicken, and dishes with hearty tomato-based sauces, such as those made with anchovies and garlic.
Rosemary has a special affinity for beans, particularly white beans, and throwing several sprigs of fresh rosemary into the pot will infuse such mild beans with deeply aromatic flavor.
In addition to beans, rosemary romances potatoes with its flavor. Adding rosemary, along with its friend, garlic, to potatoes before oven roasting makes for a flavorful dish, and creamy potato soup benefits from its addition.
The already heavenly smell and taste of freshly baked bread is enhanced by the addition of rosemary, whether sprinkled over the top or added to the dough. Rosemary is especially good with hearty whole grain breads.
In addition to its culinary and aromatic properties, rosemary has long been thought to improve the memory. Students in ancient Greece believed this, so wore rosemary garlands while studying for exams.
As it turns out, modern science has shown that rosemary increases the blood flow to the head and brain, thereby improving concentration.
It might not be a bad idea to tuck a rosemary sprig behind your ear the next time you take a test!
Sage
Sage’s Latin name, salvia, is derived from salvare, meaning to save, a reference to the many perceived healing properties of the herb. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Arabs attributed sage to long life, even immortality.
Sage has a strong, spicy flavor, with hints of musk and camphor, and is best enjoyed cooked, rather than raw. It holds up well to heat and should be added at the beginning of the cooking process, unlike some herbs which quickly lose their flavor. Sage becomes even stronger when dried.
It marries well with beans, particularly white beans, and a bundle of sage tied with cooking string can be thrown into the pot as they cook. Lentils are another good match, as is split pea soup.
Other favorites with sage are some Italian dishes, such as gnocchi and ravioli. It has an affinity for fatty meats, and is often used in the making of sausage. Pork is particularly good with it.
Onions and sage go hand-in-hand, as do some cheeses, particularly mild ones, and all manner of poultry. Sage flavors most stuffings for fowl.
Sage marries well with the beautiful array of winter squashes available now. Nearly all benefit from the addition of sage, and butter is a wonderful vehicle for the impartation of its flavor.
Sage butter is easily made by combining finely chopped fresh sage to room temperature butter. It stores well in the fridge or may be frozen.
This deeply flavored compound butter is especially enticing on a warm piece of cornbread. When used for this purpose, a little honey is a nice addition.
Another way to impart sage’s flavor is via crispy sage, made by tossing fresh sage leaves in simmering olive oil a handful at a time. Allow the leaves to cook until dark green and just crisp.
These crispy leaves may be crumbled over or added to a variety of dishes, including polenta, soups, or stews. A dish of roasted butternut squash, apples, and onions is my favorite place to use them.
The oil used to crisp them may be used to add sage flavor to dishes, as well, such as drizzling atop soup. Since olive oil solidifies after a few days in the fridge, the oil in semi-solid form may be used in much the same way as sage butter.
Sage butter is used as a component in today’s recipe, a hearty bread soup with cabbage and kale.
Bread soup with cabbage and kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled, 2 of the cloves chopped
3 quarts good-quality vegetable stock
Small head (or ½ medium head) green cabbage, roughly chopped Small bunch kale, stalks removed, leaves roughly chopped 8 – 16 slices (2 per person) thick rustic or sourdough bread 7 ounces Fontina cheese
2 ounces freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cube butter, soft and at room temperature
1 small bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the rosemary, then the 2 cloves of chopped garlic, and sauté a minute or so longer. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.)
Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the chopped cabbage and kale to the stock and simmer on low heat until both are quite tender.
Taste soup and add salt and pepper as needed.
Meanwhile, toast the bread slices in the oven or on a griddle until golden. Set aside. When cool, lightly rub each slice with the whole pieces of garlic.
Combine the chopped sage and butter in a small bowl, blending well. Generously spread over toasted bread slices.
To assemble soup, put two slices of toasted bread in each bowl. Generously sprinkle Fontina cheese over bread slices. Ladle warm soup into the bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Note: If Fontina cheese is unavailable, Gruyere or white cheddar is a good substitute. Bread that’s a bit stale is fine for this recipe.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .