You cook according to recipe and realize it requires something you do not have in the pantry. The silver lining? Many herbs and spices work as reliable replacements.
Truly, the dish will not taste exactly the same but you will reach something quite near. Every herb or spice has its own character, which makes perfect replacements difficult. Even so options exist that get you close.
Simple Herb and Spice Substitutes
Parsley gives that gentle grassy taste to dishes. Chervil can take over that task, although you will have to add a bit more, because it is delicate. Other possiblity is cilantro, except that it has citrus taste and stronger flavor, so use it fairly.
And if cilantro tastes soapy to you? The flat leaf parsley works as good replacement.
Basil appears in pizzas, pasta and everything possible. When you lack it, oregano or thyme intervene easily. Italian seasoning also works, but here is the spot: that mix combines several strong herbs.
According to my experience, use half amount than usually for basil, to escape strong taste. For sweet dishes or desserts mint helps a lot. Celery leaves are good for pesto, because the green color fits perfectly with the sauce.
Thyme has many Mediterranean relatives that work for the same role, rosemary, marjoram and oregano all work. You can use also spicy mixes as Italian herbs, Provencal herbs, zaatar or poultry seasoning. Here is why: marjoram, savory, rosemary and oregano share many flavor areas with thyme.
Interestingly, marjoram is simply the wild form of oregano, so it is the nearest relative.
Allspice is interesting. You can prepare it yourself: mix half spoon of cinnamon, half spoon of cloves and only a pinch of nutmeg, that gives one spoon. Anise exchanges well with fennel seed or some drops of anise extract, fennel itself is a nice option, but it maps quite well to anise.
Cardamom plays well with ginger. For coriander cumin commonly replaces in cookbooks. Curry powder works also, because the taste of coriander is layered and complex.
Turmeric can be replaced by dry mustard. Asafetida, that resin from Indian cooking, imitates with onion and garlic that you cook softly in butter.
Sage succeeds best with basil, marjoram, rosemary or poultry seasoning. Lemongrass? Try lemon peel zest or lemon basil.
When you are not sure, choose gentle herbs as marjoram or parsley and taste while adding, instead of risk to overshadow the rest. One thing to note: one spoon of dry herb matches three spoons of fresh.