Bouquet Garni (French Herb Bundle)
A traditional bouquet garni (literally "garnished bouquet") — a simple bundle of herbs tied with kitchen string or wrapped in cheese cloth — adds wonderful flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and braised dishes.
Equipment
- Kitchen twine
- Pair of Scissors
- Cheesecloth optional
- 3–4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
- 3–4 parsley stalks or sprigs of parsley
- Sprigs of any green herb optional
Instructions
- Gather your sprigs of fresh herbs (or dry herbs if fresh aren’t available).
- Tie them neatly with a piece of kitchen twine.
- For dried or delicate herbs, wrap them in cheese cloth tied with twine for easy removal.
- Drop the herb bundle into your soup, stock, or braise.
- Simmer gently with the dish, then remove the bundle before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh herbs whenever possible for the most fragrance, but dried herbs will still give lots of flavor.
- Keep it simple: a classic herb mixture of 3–5 herbs is best.
- Prep a few ahead of time and store them in an airtight jar in the refrigerator to keep on hand for quick weeknight cooking.
- Want to keep your herbs fresh and ready whenever you need them? Read my post on the ultimate way to store fresh herbs — it’s the same method my family has been using for generations, and it makes all the difference.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!