Italian Seasoning Substitute- Know Your Food Better

Good food is a good mood, and so we have heard and experienced. People are always in search of aesthetically pleasing, taste buds satisfying food. However, not everyone is vigilant to prepare food from scratch. I am sure plenty of people out there, like me, want quick flavor fixes to their food.

You do not have to go the extra mile to bring extraordinary taste to the dinner table. Italian seasoning or similar herbs and spices can easily- and quickly boost your platter of food with divine flavors and taste.

If you are an Italian seasoning fan but out of it, here are a few quick Italian seasoning substitutes– tried, tested, and tasted- that can liven up your dish.

Italian Seasoning- Take Your Food to the Next Level

You must have seen your mother or grandmother adding a variety of fresh or dried herbs and spices like oregano, basil, thyme, and chives to cook amazing dishes. Often they would blend the fresh herbs to cook their favorite neighborhood foods. However, we are a lazy generation.

 We would never get into the hassle of blending fresh herbs in a mortar and pestle at home- okay, some of you master-chefs might. Instead, however, I would just grab the jar of Italian seasoning from the grocery store.

What Does Italian Seasoning Contains?

Easily available in local marts and stores, Italian seasoning packets and shakers bring extra herbal flavors to your kitchen pantry.

Italian seasoning is a heavenly blend of five herbs- basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram.

• Basil has a strongly sweet aroma with a peppery taste widely used to make the dip, sauces, and salad dressings.
• Oregano: A popular herb used widely in pasta and pizza, oregano adds a hint of mint and hay!
• Thyme: it adds natural flavors and floral notes to savory cuisines.
• Rosemary: Peppery in taste with a hint of woodsy flavor and aroma makes a great pair with thyme.
• Marjoram: It is often considered a sort of relative to oregano. With a slightly spicy and somewhat bitter – but in a good way- taste, it has a similar aroma as basil.

Ancient Romans and Greek claim Italian seasoning to be a part of their culinary cuisines. Nevertheless, people from Italy have a school of different thoughts, and over time, they have curated their versions of Italian seasoning.

Italian Seasoning- Worth the Hype

No two people have the same taste buds. For example, you might be a fan of double Tabasco, while spicy food will make me cry. Similarly, you may or may not like the strong flavors of Italian seasoning and prefer using each herb individually. That, however, happens rarely.

People, who taste Italian seasoning for once, cannot imagine their food without it again.

There are varieties of different brands for Italian seasoning that you would come across in the aisle at the grocery store. The basic ingredients are the same, though but they may slightly differ in taste. Therefore, it can take a few trials and errors before the perfect one hits the right taste chord.

However, Italian seasoning sometimes runs out of stock- not surprising, considering that people use it in almost everything nowadays. So even if you return empty-handed. Worry not; we have got you covered. Here are some basic pantry-available Italian seasoning substitutes for you.

Italian Seasoning Substitute

If you have great cooking skills and love to try new things, you can use the DIY method and make your homemade Italian seasoning. However, for people like me, I would just resort to other ready-to-use Italian seasoning substitutes.

1.      DIY or Homemade Italian Seasoning

No time to run to the grocery store? No worries! Just grab 4 tablespoons of basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and marjoram and shove it into the bender. Blend and mix to your heart’s content! You can also invent a new seasoning by blending equal amounts of sage, chili flakes, oregano, thyme, cilantro, parsley, and fennel. It tastes amazing, and trying something new is always fun.

2.      Fresh Herbs

When out of the store-bought seasonings, the best way to bring flavor and aroma to your kitchen is to add fresh herbs such as chives. But the fresh ones will be stronger in taste, hence use them in a smaller quantity.

3.      Dried Basil and Oregano

Even if you have bought Italian seasoning in your grocery, there are high chances that you would have grabbed a shaker of oregano and basil too. As in many dishes like pizza and pasta, they are used individually. As they are a part of the original seasoning, they make a great substitute for it.

Conclusion

To level up your cooking game, throw in some herbs and spices. They are an easier way to turn your basic dinner table dish into a culinary cuisine- just like pictures on the recipe books. If you are out of seasoning or herbs, use the Italian seasoning substitutes.

And, enjoy a restaurant-style aromatic cuisine at the comfort of your home!

Here Are Other Recipes That You Can Try!

• Grass Spinach Dip
• Glazed Oven Salmon
• Peanut Butter Fudge
• Salmon Croquette
• Fried Spinach Patties
• Salmon Loaf Recipe
• Olga’s Spinach Pie
• And, many more!