10 Culinary Herbs You Didn’t Know You Could Grow Indoors And How to Use Them Like a Chef

Have you ever looked at a small, expensive plastic clamshell of herbs in the grocery store and thought, “There has to be a better way”? You buy it for one recipe, and the rest of it sadly wilts in the back of your fridge. What if you could cut off the exact amount of fresh, strong flavor you need, right when you need it? What if that taste was stronger and smelled better than anything you could buy?

You can, which is good news. And you don’t need a big yard to do it.

At The Garden Haven, we think that everyone should be able to enjoy the pleasure of growing their own food. You can start a culinary revolution with just a sunny spot on your kitchen windowsill, a small shelf under a grow light, or a corner of your living room. Don’t use the usual herbs like basil and mint. We’re going to talk about ten lesser-known but very useful herbs that are surprisingly easy to grow indoors. Get ready to take your cooking from simple meals at home to chef-level dishes.

Why should you grow your own herbs inside? The Flavor Revolution on Your Windowsill

There are more reasons to grow herbs inside than just convenience. It’s a small act of self-reliance that brings you back to your food. Herbs that have just been cut taste much better—more powerful, more complex, and full of essential oils that lose their potency quickly after being picked. It’s like hearing a song on a little speaker versus hearing it in a full concert hall. A living plant is also a pretty addition to your home because it cleans the air and brings a little bit of nature inside. You’ll save money, make less trash, and feel great about taking care of something from seed to plate.

How to Make Your Indoor Herb Garden Work

Let’s go over the basics before we introduce our ten all-stars. Don’t be scared! Once you know what herbs need, taking care of them is easy. Use it as a guide to success.

• Light: This is the most important part. Most herbs used in cooking need at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. A window that faces south is best. Don’t worry if you don’t have one! You can make any corner into a productive garden with a cheap, simple LED grow light.
• Water: The most important thing to remember is to water when the top inch of soil feels dry. The most common mistake that new gardeners make is giving their plants too much water. Make sure your pots have good drainage holes so that roots don’t sit in water, which can cause them to rot.
• Soil and Containers: Don’t just use dirt from your yard. You need a good potting mix that is made for containers. It has the right amount of drainage, air, and nutrients. Pick pots that are at least 6 inches wide so your herbs have room to grow.

10 Unexpected Cooking Herbs That Do Well Indoors

Are you ready to meet your new kitchen friends? These herbs are tasty, easy to work with, and will change the way you cook.

1. Lemon Balm: The Citrus Stress-Reliever That Makes You Happy

Melissa officinalis is a member of the mint family. It grows very quickly and has a bright lemony scent that comes out with the slightest touch. It is known for its calming effects and makes a nice, relaxing tea.

• Growing Guide: Lemon balm is easy to grow. It does best in a sunny window, but it can also grow in partial shade. Water it often, but let the soil dry out a little bit between waterings. Pinching it back often will help it grow into a bushier, more compact shape.
• Chef’s Tip: Chop up fresh lemon balm leaves very small and mix them into yogurt for a tangy dip. You can also sprinkle them over grilled fish at the end of cooking or muddle them into iced tea and cocktails for a refreshing citrus twist.

2. Chervil: The French Cuisine’s Soft Touch

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a key ingredient in French cooking, but it is often not used in American kitchens. The taste is delicate and refined, with hints of anise and parsley. The fern-like leaves are very pretty and make any dish look better.

• Growing Guide: Chervil likes cooler temperatures and less bright light than other herbs, so an east-facing window is a good place for it to grow. Make sure the soil is always moist but not too wet. It grows quickly, so plant seeds every few weeks to keep getting them.
• Chef’s Tip: Heat destroys chervil’s delicate flavor. Put it in at the very end of cooking. Along with parsley, tarragon, and chives, it is one of the main ingredients in the classic fines herbes blend. It is also delicious mixed into omelets or sprinkled over steamed vegetables.

3. Marjoram: The Sweeter, More Gentle Cousin of Oregano

Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana) looks a lot like oregano, but its flavor is milder, sweeter, and more floral. This is the herb you want if you want something warm and deep without the strong flavor of oregano.

• Growing Guide: Marjoram needs a lot of sun, so a window that faces south is perfect. It comes from the Mediterranean, so it likes to dry out between waterings. This delicate perennial will keep making new, fragrant leaves if you trim it regularly.
• Chef’s Tip: Marjoram is great in soups with beans, tomato sauces, and stuffings for chicken. Before roasting, rub it on a whole chicken with lemon and garlic for a smell and taste that you won’t forget.

4. Shiso (Perilla): The Mysterious Star of Korean and Japanese Cooking

Shiso (Perilla frutescens) comes in green or reddish-purple varieties. Its flavor is hard to describe, but it has hints of cinnamon, mint, and basil. Any cook who likes to try new things should try it.

• Growing Guide: Shiso loves the sun and heat. Give it a lot of light and keep it wet all the time. It can get pretty big, so make sure the pot is at least 8 to 10 inches wide.
• Chef’s Tip: In Japanese food, whole green leaves are used to wrap sashimi or are served with tempura. People often use the purple kind to pickle umeboshi (plums). You can also cut it up and add it to salads or noodle dishes for a unique, tasty flavor.

5. Lovage: The Strong, Celery-Like Powerhouse

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a great herb for people who like the taste of celery. This perennial herb has a flavor that is like a stronger, more herbal version of celery with a hint of parsley and anise. A little bit goes a long way!

• Growing Guide: Lovage can grow into a big plant, but you can keep it small by putting it in a deep pot (at least 12 inches). It likes rich, wet soil and full sun to partial shade.
• Chef’s Tip: Use the leaves and stems to add flavor to soups and stocks. They are a key part of many traditional European soup recipes. You can even use a hollow stalk as a straw for a Bloody Mary that doesn’t waste anything.

6. Salad Burnet: A Hint of Cool Cucumber

The serrated leaves of salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) are very pretty and taste like a cool cucumber. It’s a great way to add a fresh, crisp flavor to food without chopping any vegetables.

• Growing Guide: This tough perennial isn’t picky. It likes well-drained soil and does well in full sun or light shade. Trim it back to encourage new growth, as older leaves can be tough.
• Chef’s Tip: Chop up the young leaves and mix them into cream cheese or yogurt to make a simple, tasty dip or sandwich spread. They are also great in green salads and can be added to water for a spa-like drink.

7. Stevia: The Sweetener That Comes from Nature

You can grow your own sweetener with no calories! The leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) are very sweet. One fresh leaf is often enough to make a cup of tea or coffee taste better.

• Growing Guide: Stevia is a subtropical plant that likes the sun, warmth, and soil that drains well. It can be a little hard because it doesn’t like it when it’s too dry or too wet. Before watering well, let the top of the soil dry out.
• Chef’s Tip: Use fresh leaves to make drinks taste better. You can also dry the leaves, crush them into a powder, and use it in baking. However, you might need to try different amounts because it is much sweeter than sugar.

8. Vietnamese Coriander (Rau Ram): A Spicy and Peppery Alternative to Cilantro

This herb is very important in Southeast Asian cooking and is also called rau ram (Persicaria odorata). It has the citrusy flavor of cilantro but ends with a spicier, peppery taste. People who think cilantro tastes like soap will often like this instead.

• Growing Guide: Vietnamese coriander is different from most herbs in that it loves water and humidity. Keep the soil moist all the time, and you might want to put it on a pebble tray with water to raise the humidity in the room. It does well in warm, sunny places.
• Chef’s Tip: It’s a classic side dish for pho and other noodle soups. Cut it up fresh and add it to salads, summer rolls, and larb for a real, spicy taste that can handle strong spices.

9. Winter Savory: The Strong, Peppery Herb for Hearty Meals

Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a semi-evergreen herb that tastes like thyme but is stronger and spicier. It goes great with heavy, rich foods because it is a strong herb.

• Growing Guide: This is another plant that comes from the Mediterranean and needs full sun and soil that drains quickly. Once it is established, it can handle a lot of drought. To keep its shape, trim it back after it blooms.
• Chef’s Tip: It goes well with beans and lentils because it tastes good and is said to help with digestion. It also goes well with roasted meats, stuffings, and cabbage dishes.

10. Chives: The Onion’s Quiet, Always-Giving Cousin

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) might not be a complete secret, but they don’t get the credit they deserve. They are very easy to grow and give you a steady supply of mild onion flavor. They are the perfect “cut-and-come-again” herb.

• Growing Guide: Chives are one of the best indoor herbs because they can grow in many different conditions. They will do best with at least six hours of direct sun, but they can get by with a little less. Make sure the soil stays wet. To pick, cut the leaves off about an inch from the base.
• Chef’s Tip: Chives make a great light garnish for almost any dish. You can use them on baked potatoes with sour cream, mix them into scrambled eggs, or mix them into butter to make a simple compound butter for steaks or bread.

A Quick Guide to Caring for Indoor Herbs

A Chef’s Secret for Using Fresh Herbs

It helps to know what your homegrown herbs are like so you can get the most out of them. I always think of them as either soft herbs or hard herbs.

• “Soft herbs” like chervil, cilantro, lemon balm, and shiso have soft leaves and mild flavors. You should add them at the very end of cooking or use them raw as a garnish. Heat breaks down their essential oils.
• “Hard herbs” like rosemary, thyme, and winter savory have stems that are woody and leaves that are tough. Adding them early in the cooking process, like when you’re sautéing aromatics for a soup or stew, makes their flavors stronger.

Important Points

Are you feeling inspired? As you start your indoor gardening journey, here are the most important things to keep in mind:

• You Can Do This: Anyone can grow herbs indoors, no matter how much space they have. It’s a fun and easy hobby.
• Light is Important: Most herbs need at least six hours of bright, direct light every day. A window that faces south or a simple grow light will help you the most.
• Don’t Drown Them: Too much water is the number one killer of indoor herbs. Before watering, always check to see if the top inch of soil is dry. Also, make sure your pots have drainage.
• Try New Flavors: Don’t be afraid to use herbs you’ve never used before, like shiso or lovage. They can help you cook in new ways.
• Harvest Often: Trimming your plants on a regular basis makes them bushier and more productive. Don’t be afraid to use your herbs!

You can do this! Your culinary adventure is about to begin.

You don’t have to keep that sad, wilted packet of herbs in the back of the crisper drawer anymore. If you could cut your own fresh chervil for your morning eggs or grab some stevia leaves to sweeten your afternoon tea, how happy and confident would you feel? You can grow more than just plants; you can also connect more deeply with the food you eat and the flavors you make.

Pick one or two herbs that you really like. Give them some water, a sunny spot, and your time. You won’t believe how much you can grow. Your kitchen is going to taste a lot better now.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much light do my herbs need to grow inside? The 6-hour rule is a good way to tell if most herbs are growing well and strongly. If your herbs are getting “leggy,” which means they are growing tall and thin with few leaves, it’s a sure sign that they are trying to find more light. This is easy to fix with a cheap LED grow light.

My herbs are getting tall and thin. What did I do wrong? Getting “leggy” is what this is called, and it’s almost always because there isn’t enough light. The second most common reason is not pinching them back enough. Regular harvesting makes the plant grow more branches and get fuller. Don’t be scared to give them a haircut!

How often should I pick my herbs? It’s good for the plant to harvest it often. You can start cutting leaves off of most herbs once the plant is well-established and has a lot of leaves. It’s a good idea to never take more than a third of the plant away at once.

What are those little bugs that are flying around my houseplants? Those are probably fungus gnats. They are annoying, but they don’t hurt most established plants. They do well in soil that is too wet. Letting the top layer of your soil dry out completely between waterings is the best way to get rid of them. This breaks their life cycle because their larvae can’t live in dry soil.

Can I use regular potting soil to grow my herbs? Use a new, high-quality potting mix made for containers if you can. These mixes are light, sterile (free of pests and diseases), and made to drain and aerate well in a pot, which is very different from the heavy soil in your garden bed.

Sources

• University of Minnesota Extension: “Growing chives in home gardens”
• PennState Extension: “Marjoram”
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: “Gardening with Herbs in Florida”
• North Carolina State University Extension: “Satureja montana”