How to make a bouquet garni (tied herb bundle) for soups, stocks, and sauces
Bundle thyme, parsley, and leek (optionally peppercorns), roll tightly, and tie with string so it can be dropped into liquids and removed easily.
Combine fresh thyme, fresh parsley, and leek, add a few peppercorns if desired, roll into a tight bundle, and tie securely with string. Use it to infuse soups, stocks, and sauces, then remove before serving/straining.
The short version
- Tie aromatics so they’re easy to remove
- Use to flavor soups, stocks, and sauces
What you need
- kitchen stringFor tying the bouquet garni
How to do it
- 1
Gather fresh thyme, fresh parsley, and a piece of leek.
Watch this step - 2
Add 4–5 peppercorns (optional) into the bundle.
Peppercorns are removed later when you remove the bouquet garni.
Watch this step - 3
Roll the herbs/leek into a tight cigar shape.
Tight rolling helps it stay together in the pot.
Watch this step - 4
Tie with string (wrap once or twice and knot securely).
Tie firmly so it doesn’t unravel during simmering.
Watch this step - 5
Drop into soup/stock/sauce and remove when finished.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Not tying tightly so herbs disperse into the liquid
Roll into a tight bundle and secure with string before adding to the pot.
Why it works
Tying aromatics together keeps leaves and stems from dispersing into the liquid, making flavor infusion easy and cleanup simple.
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