Wellness Mama founder Katie Wells has published a recipe for a homemade herbes de Provence seasoning blend, describing the mix as a traditional combination of herbs associated with France’s Provence region and offering variations that include optional lavender, fennel and orange zest.
Katie Wells, the founder of Wellness Mama, has published a recipe for making herbes de Provence at home, calling it a spice mix associated with the Provence region in the south of France.
What Wells says the blend includes
In the post, dated March 17, 2026, Wells writes that the “original” blend contained summer savory, thyme, marjoram and rosemary, and that later versions added lavender, fennel and orange zest. She also describes a range of purported wellness-related properties, writing that rosemary “helps with memory,” thyme is “great for the lungs,” and marjoram can “help relax nervous tension,” while lavender can support stress relief and fennel may aid digestion.
Recipe, yield and method
Wells’ recipe lists the following ingredients:
- ¼ cup thyme
- 2 tablespoons marjoram
- 1 tablespoon rosemary (cut and sifted)
- 1 tablespoon summer savory
- ½ teaspoon lavender flowers
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon dried orange zest (optional)
Wells says the recipe yields about 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons. Her instructions call for using a food processor or mortar and pestle to lightly grind whole ingredients—such as rosemary, lavender flowers or fennel—so the mixture stays coarse rather than finely ground, then combining the ingredients and storing them in an airtight container away from heat and light.
Suggested uses
Wells describes the blend as versatile and says it pairs well with many meats—especially pork and chicken—and complements fish and seafood. She also recommends adding it to soups and broths and mixing it into butter to make a compound butter for vegetables, bread or cauliflower rice. The post also suggests using it in breakfast items such as sous vide egg bites and breakfast sausage, and notes it can be added early in cooking so the coarser herbs have time to infuse their flavor.
Alternate blend and comparison with Italian seasoning
Wells includes an alternate blend for readers who cannot find summer savory or want a different profile. That version lists: 2 tablespoons thyme, 2 tablespoons rosemary, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 tablespoon oregano, plus optional summer savory (still described as traditional), marjoram and lavender.
She also distinguishes herbes de Provence from Italian seasoning, writing that Italian seasoning commonly includes oregano and basil (along with thyme and rosemary), while many versions do not include marjoram or summer savory, and typically do not include lavender.
Reader questions and responses
The comments section includes readers discussing difficulty finding savory and asking about fennel preparation. In a reply to a reader question about fennel seeds, the site responds that fennel should be coarsely ground. The comments also include questions about savory types and other ingredient details.
