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Oregano Recipes

With its powerful flavour and intoxicating aroma, oregano can add a special touch to dozens of dishes. It's particularly popular in Mediterranean cuisine, where its rich, earthy taste really comes to life. Here are some of our favourite ways to use it.

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How To Prepare Fresh Oregano

How To Prepare Fresh Oregano

Dried oregano is a quick and convenient ingredient, but the fresh stuff will bring your cooking to a whole new level. Before using your oregano, wash it and dry it. Then remove the leaves from the stalks. Although the leaves are soft to the touch, the stalks can be woody, so don't use them in your cooking. Usually, oregano leaves are on the small side, so you can use them whole, but if they're too big, tear them in half or chop them up.

For the tastiest results, add fresh oregano to your HelloFresh dinner ideas right at the end of the cooking time. Oregano has a rich flavour and hearty aroma, and it'll lose its strength if you cook it for too long. Just as your meal is done, add a sprinkling of fresh oregano and stir it in. This is a great way to brighten up your favourite sauces for pasta dishes. In particular, oregano is the perfect partner for tomato sauces or any recipe with eggplant. You don't need to use too much. Just a little bit of fresh oregano will bring a warm, delightful and herby taste to your meals. There's a reason why the Italians love this herb.

If you've got a lot of fresh oregano to spare, carefully wrap it up in damp kitchen paper and place it into a plastic container or bag. Store it in the fridge. Kept like this, it'll stay fresh for up to three days. You'll just have to think of more great recipes to try before it goes off.

Popular Recipes with Oregano

Popular Recipes with Oregano

Oregano grows wild around the Mediterranean, so chefs from that region love it. Its strong flavour pairs well with tomato and eggplant, and it can stand up well to powerful ingredients. We love it with slow-cooked pork meatballs in tomato sauce, served with plenty of cheese to keep the whole family happy.

We love oregano with pasta, but it's equally good on pizza. Sprinkle dried oregano over your pizza sauce, or add a few fresh leaves on top right at the end of the cooking time. Use it as an alternative to basil, or mix both herbs together for a sophisticated, complex flavour.

In Greece, oregano is often used as an addition to salads. Try it in a traditional Greek salad — or, for something a little bit special, make a marinade with oregano, olive oil and lemon juice. Marinate cubes of feta cheese in this mixture for a few hours before serving them with your favourite roast veggie salad. You can use the same marinade for halloumi before cooking it on the grill or in a frying pan. The oregano pairs perfectly with the cheese, making a great vegetarian main course for a barbecue.

Oregano also works well with the punchy, herbaceous flavours of pesto. In this Panzanella-style pesto chicken salad, we coat chicken breasts with oregano before mixing them with pesto. If you're feeling ambitious, you can also try making your own pesto from scratch. Replace half the basil leaves with oregano for a fresh, unusual flavour that's bound to impress your guests.

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