A simple herb oil infused with fresh, soft herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and/or chives.
Recipe by Erin Alderson on October 9, 2019
Prep time: PT240M
Cook time: PT1M
Rating
5 stars (3 reviews)
Keywords
herb oil, parsley oil
Ingredients
2 cups lightly packed soft herbs (about 1 ½ oz with stems: parsley, cilantro, basil, dill, lovage, chives, mint, tarragon))
1/2 to 3/4 cup good olive oil (or neutral oil, like sunflower)
Salt (for the water)
Categories
Component
Cuisine
international
Steps
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Once the water is boiling, add the herbs and cook for about 10 to 15 seconds; just until the herbs/stems are bright green. Using a slotted spoon, quickly transfer to the ice bath and let sit for 5 minutes to completely cool.
Transfer the herbs to a dry tea towel and wrap/dry. The goal is to get as much moisture out of the herbs. Transfer the herbs to a high-speed blender and add the oil. Puree until as smooth as can be. This can work with a regular blender, but it’s not quite as effective. If the mixture feels too thick to blend, add a bit more oil.
Line a sieve with cheesecloth (layered three times) or a coffee filter (I like to use my Chemex filter). Pour the oil into the sieve and let sit for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Do not press the oil through. Once done, transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to a week (sometimes a little longer- keep an eye on it!)
Reviews
Alecia Coetzer on 2025-09-01 (5 stars): Excellant, thank you, Ella.
Marlon Li on 2025-02-22 (5 stars): I was thinking of an effective way to use the abundance herbs and saw your article.
I'm gonna try your recipe, thank you!