Herbal Soup Wreaths

In my book Gardening for Everyone, I shared a tutorial for making herbal soup wreaths that are every bit as cute as they are practical. To make them, I braid 6-10 inch trimmings into pint-size wreaths and then toss them into soups and stews for flavor. If you’ve got a garden full of culinary herbs that need to be harvested before the last frost, here’s a little step by step guide for you!

Ingredients/Materials

sprigs of culinary herbs

scissors

organic twine

clipboard (optional)

Directions

1. Using scissors, snip fresh herb sprigs 6-10 inches long. Since you’ll be braiding them, be sure to choose flexible stems that can be shaped into a wreath.

2. Wash the herbs and dry thoroughly to prevent them from molding on the wreath.

3. Choose three sprigs of herbs to braid. You can choose three stems from the same herb or combine 2-3 different types (oregano and sage are powerful though, so I’d recommend using no more than one stem from either of those herbs!). Bind them together on one end with twine.

4. If you have a clipboard, place the tied end of the herbs under the clamp to hold the herbs in place; otherwise have someone hold the end steady or braid freehand. Braid the herbs together until you reach the other end.

5. Join the two ends to form a wreath and tie them together with twine. You can also try using a flexible herb, such as chives, to tie the ends together.

6. Use the wreaths fresh, hang them dry, or freeze them for later.

7. When you’re ready to use unit wreath, toss it in a pot of soup, then fish it out (and compost it) once your soup is flavorful.