Broad Leaf Thyme

Thymus pulegioides

Height:
Up to 25cm (10in)
Suitable for:
Sunny well drained spot. Containers, rockeries and paths.
Summary:
As its name suggests this thyme has large, rounded green leaves, and long spires of attractive dark purple flowers in summer. It is an excellent culinary thyme.
Broad Leaf Thyme: Thymus pulegioides

Broad leaf thyme has a mounded habit, being neither upright or creeping. It has lovely shiny foliage and flowers that are extremely attractive to bees and butterflies. It is perfect planted as an ornamental in rockeries, paths or a gravel garden, as well as being a useful part of the herb garden. Like all thymes it should be trimmed hard after flowering to ensure lots of new shoots for use in the kitchen and also to keep the plants neat and compact. Broad leaf thyme has an excellent flavour for cooking, the leaves are softer than common thyme and easier to chop. Thyme is traditionally used with meat and in sauces, stuffing, stews and soups. More unusually it can be an interesting addition to salads, Broad leaf thyme is particularly good to use raw in salads as the leaves are softer, and not as chewy as common thyme, when served uncooked.

Thyme, Lovage and Potato Salad.

  • 350 g baby new potatoes
  • a good handful of chicory leaves
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  •   (watercress maybe substituted)
  • 2 tbs each of lovage & broad-leaved thyme
  • 1 small yellow pepper

Dressing:

  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed then finely chopped
  • seasoning.

Mix together the ingredients for the dressing first and set aside.

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender. Allow them to cool slightly then halve them and toss them in the dressing.

When the potatoes are cooled, add the halved tomatoes, diced pepper and the finely chopped herbs. Mix well and serve on a bed of shredded chicory leaves.

The potato salad mixture may be stored in the fridge until required. Do not add to the chicory until just before serving, as the dressing will make the leaves wilt.