Kale is a decent choice as a substitute for basil leaves. Be careful if you want to use sweet basil the leaves are typically used in Thai curries and its aroma will be different from holy basil.
When you decide to use fresh basil instead of dried basil youll want to use the conversion of 2 teaspoons of fresh basil is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried basil.
Substitute for basil leaves. Spinach Leaves Basil Substitute. Spinach Leaves are an excellent option if you are making pesto. Spinach Leaves can also be used as a fresh Basil substitute.
Not everyone likes the taste of Basil so it would be good to use Spinach Leaves in place of Basil to get a rich green color. Spinach Leaves are more suitable to use in recipes such as. When you decide to use fresh basil instead of dried basil youll want to use the conversion of 2 teaspoons of fresh basil is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried basil.
Great Recipes for Basil. In place of basil you may use spinach or kale to give a green herbal taste to your dishes. The best substitutes for basil in pesto are either leafy greens such as spinach kale or arugula.
These ingredients may not work as a substitute in other dishes. As others have said it depends into what recipe you substitute the basis. If it is pesto my friend always makes hers with slenderized broccoli.
Not as sharp as with the basil but excellent. Also as others have stated mint can work. Yet another good substitute for dried basil could be an Italian seasoning blend since these commonly contain basil as well as other herbs including oregano thyme and rosemary.
Thyme is the best substitute that offers a minty flavor same as bay leaves giving you food that minty taste. Basil is sweeter but adds a bay leafs unique taste to your beef or tomato sauce recipes. Juniper berries have an intense piney resinous flavor which is very similar to that of bay leaves.
If you dont have fresh basil at hand dried basil can sometimes be substituted for fresh basil leaves. However replacing fresh basil with dried basil usually only works in recipes that feature this highly fragrant herb in small quantities rather than as a main ingredient. Dried basil is a good substitute for bay leaves in Thai Italian and other tomato-based dishes like pasta sauces and stews.
Substitute Dried Basil for Fresh in Tea Basil tea is one of the best ways to get the most nutrient from your basil leaves. In any tea variation whether Lemon Basil Tea Basil Ginger Lime Tea or plane Basil Ginger Tea the fresh leaves can take the stead of dried basil. The easiest and most common substitution in the world of herbs is to simply use dried rather than fresh herbs.
For instance if youre out of the fresh basil your recipe calls for just use dried basil in its place. Its simple enough but there is an important rule to follow. There are plenty of substitutes you can use for basil and still create a delicious pesto.
The best substitutes for basil in pesto are either leafy greens such as spinach kale arugula watercress or even seaweed or herbs such as parsley cilantro mint sage or tarragon. Better yet use a combination. Holy basil or Thai basil is a staple base of the Thai stir-fry dish Pad Gra Prow minced meat fried with basil.
You can use Italian or Greek basil leaves to substitute Thai basil. Be careful if you want to use sweet basil the leaves are typically used in Thai curries and its aroma will be different from holy basil. Tarragon is a herb that can be used to replicate the licorice notes in Thai basil.
It is popular in French cooking as a way to flavor poultry and fish and is one of the fines herbes. Start by adding half the amount that your recipe requires for Thai basil and increase if necessary. Like tarragon fennel also possesses the licorice taste which is a standard qualifier to substitute Thai basil.
You can utilize fennel in two ways in your dishes. Use its leaves as herbs and toss its bulb portion as a vegetable to salads. Note that fennel is less intense in licorice taste than Thai basil.
Kale is a decent choice as a substitute for basil leaves. It goes well in almost every recipe and it will work well with pesto nuts pureed cheese and olive oil. The final flavor would be unique and you may be shocked when you eat the dish.
Dont worry as it will. Oregano is a member of the mint family just like basil. It has a distinctive flavor with pepper and clove notes that are like those in basil.
Unlike the other substitutes in this list oregano is best used dry since the fresh leaves can be a little too pungent and aggressive.