Last Updated on July 14, 2021 by Sindhu
Bay leaf is often used to flavor soups, stews, and especially meat dishes. It is also referred to as Laurel leaf.
A few of the dishes which include bay leaf are chicken and meat dishes, split pea soup, various seasonings, and pasta sauces.
Just in case if you don’t have them on hand, you can replace them with the below substitutes for a similar flavor and taste.
Top 6 Bay leaf’s substitutes:
Bay leaf is used as a whole in cooking and then discarded before serving the dish. They have a strong peppery flavor with mint and pine tones. The leaves also have a very strong and bitter taste, especially when cooked for long periods of time or used in larger quantities than recommended.
Fresh bay leaf vs Dried bay leaf
Fresh leaves have more flavor when compared to dry leaves. But many people find fresh leaves to be more expensive when compared to dry ones.
So double the quantity of dry leaves are required to replace fresh leaves.
- 1 dry leaf = 1/4 tsp crushes leaves
- 1 fresh leaf = 2 dry leaves
- 1 fresh leaf = 1/2 tsp crushed leaves
Thyme
Thyme, which is from the same family as many other herbs like mint, rosemary, marjoram makes an excellent substitute for bay leaves.
You can replace crushed bay leaf with equal quantities of dried oregano.
It can be used in place of bay leaf in most of the Mediterranean dishes and also meat dishes.
- 1 bay leaf = 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Oregano
Oregano is also one of the best substitutes for bay leaf. The flavor of oregano perfectly mimics the subtle flavor which bay leaf imparts to the dishes.
This can be used in various soups, sauces, and stews preparations.
- 1 bay leaf = 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Basil
Basil is a very good substitute for bay leaf especially when you are cooking with tomato bases dishes.
And also it pairs perfectly with Thai dishes such as Massaman curry or Italian dishes such as pasta or spaghetti sauces.
Crushed bay leaves can be substituted with an equal quantity of dried basil.
- 1 bay leaf = 2 basil leaves
- 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1/2 tsp dried basil
Boldo leaves
Boldo leaves are mostly used in South American countries like Chile. They have a very mild flavor which makes them a good substitute for bay leaves in vegetarian dishes.
They perfectly balance the flavor of the dish without overpowering it. Half the quantity of boldo leaves is enough to substitute the bay leaves.
- 1 bay leaf = 1/2 boldo leaf
- 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1/4 tsp boldo leaves
Juniper berries
Many will be surprised to know that berries can actually be used as an alternative to bay leaves in cooking. But Juniper berries have pine and peppery flavor which makes them a good substitute for bay leaf in meat dishes.
1 bay leaf = 3 juniper berries
But pregnant women and children should be cautious when consuming Juniper berries.
Tej-Patta (Indian bay leaf)
Indian bay leaf is also called Tej-patta. It comes from a tree in the Cinnamon family. They are often used in Indian rice dishes and they can be used instead of bay leaves.
However the flavor is a bit stronger than bay leaf, so half the quantity of bay leaf would be good enough.
- 2 bay leaves = 1 tej patta
- 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf = 1/4 tsp tej patta
Lesser-known alternatives to bay leaf are allspice leaves and cinnamon leaves.
Other types of bay leaves such as Indonesian bay leaf, West Indian bay leaf, or Mexican bay leaf can be used interchangeably in required quantities.
The most popular varieties of bay leaf used in the United States are California bay leaf and Turkish bay leaf.
Bay leaf trees can be easily grown in the garden in most places. After all, who would say no to fresh bay leaves?
The fresh leaves can also be brewed into a tea which has a lot of health benefits.
However whole bay leaf is inedible even after cooking and it may sometimes damage the lining of the digestive tract. So it is often discarded before serving.
