Cooking with Thyme - Cooking Light

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Tasty with Thyme

Sold in little bundles of stems with the small leaves attached, fresh thyme is best for cooking. Fragrant and easy to add to a variety of dishes and sauces, thyme is a must have, in multiple varieties, during warm-weather seasons.

First up is our Thyme Corn Bread. Folding in fresh thyme and corn-off-the-cob makes this classic bread a good companion for soups, stews, or poultry entrées. For the most intense flavor in the tiny leaves, harvest the thyme just before it begins to flower.

View Recipe: Thyme Corn Bread

Photo: John Autry

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Thyme-Scented Plums

Broiling the plums for a few minutes intensifies their tangy-sweet flavor. Look for plums that ripened on the tree for fruitiest flavor; the best place to find them will be at farmers' markets or farm stands. You can also swap in peaches for plums, if you like.

View Recipe: Roast Pork Tenderloin with Thyme-Scented Plums

Photo: John Autry

Dijon, Thyme, and Pine Nut Broccoli

Banish the tired, plain broccoli routine for one that heightens the flavor with thyme and Dijon mustard. Thyme is a key herb in vinaigrettes, and it works well in this lemony mustard dressing, too.

View Recipe: Dijon, Thyme, and Pine Nut Broccoli

Photo: Oxmoor House

Thyme-Scented White Bean Cassoulet

Butter-tossed breadcrumbs stirred in at the end give this dish a robust stewlike consistency. Meatless Italian sausage stands in for the traditional pork sausage. With this recipe, you can also sauté the sausage slices in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, then stir into the dish. Try subbing fresh thyme in this dish for a more intense flavor.

View Recipe: Thyme-Scented White Bean Cassoulet

Photo: John Autry

Phyllo Cups with Ricotta, Chèvre, and Thyme

Start making the phyllo stacks about 30 minutes after you put the cheese mixture in the refrigerator. Or make the cheese mixture a day ahead, and assemble before guests arrive.

View Recipe: Phyllo Cups with Ricotta, Chèvre, and Thyme

Photo: John Autry

Vegetarian Benedicts with Thyme Sabayon

Fresh thyme is a welcome addition to this frothy, egg and wine-based sauce called sabayon. Substitute curly kale for lacinato kale, if desired.

View Recipe: Vegetarian Benedicts with Thyme Sabayon

Photo: Levi Brown

Sautéed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms

In less than 20 minutes, these mushrooms can be your new favorite accompaniment to your favorite main dish. We used presliced cremini mushrooms to give us a headstart to meal prep and added some fresh thyme and a few splashes of white wine to amp up the flavor.

View Recipe: Sautéed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms

Photo: Jonny Valiant

Roasted Chestnut Soup with Thyme Cream

Roasting bottled chestnuts brings back fresh-toasted flavor to this comforting soup recipe.

View Recipe: Roasted Chestnut Soup with Thyme Cream

Photo: John Autry

Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomato

Thyme, garlic, and Dijon Mustard give these burgers a French twist. Pan-grilled tomatoes enhance the already-juicy texture.

View Recipe: Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomato

Photo: John Autry

Gemelli Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios, and Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

Haricots verts are thin, tender green beans. If you can't find them, use trimmed regular green beans, but add them to the pasta after 8 minutes of cooking since they'll take longer to cook. You can make the salad ahead, but dress it just before serving so the beans don't turn drab.

View Recipe: Gemelli Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios, and Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette