Herbs & Spices - Basil

It’s amazing how food will suddenly come alive with the addition of some herbs or spices. However sometimes we all just need a little guidance as to what goes best with what and when to add certain things in when cooking. This is why we will be looking at each of our favourite herbs and spices in turn on our blog, letting you know exactly how to get the most out of them.

Basil

There are many varieties of this soft-leafed herb. In Italian cooking, sweet basil is used most frequently. Its intense aromatic flavour goes perfectly with meat and fish, and the bright green leaves are delicious ripped over a cold gazpacho or blitzed into a vibrant pesto. In Asian cooking, Thai, lemon, and holy basil add a peppery sweetness to curries and stir-fries.

You should always add herbs with soft leaves, such as basil, coriander and mint, at the end of cooking as their flavour can be lost if you heat them; they also add colour and vibrancy as fresh garnishes

Now put your newfound knowledge to use:

Try our White Bean, Tomato and Basil Salad, it’s light on the palette, tasty and incredibly nutritious.