Strongly flavored, savory should be used with a light touch. It adds a piquant flavor to many foods including pâtés and soups, as well as meat, fish, peas, potato, and especially to bean dishes. A few chopped fresh leaves are a flavorful addition to salads, but using more than this can be overpowering. Dried or fresh, savory is a common ingredient in the French herb blend, herbes de Provence, an assortment of dried herbs said to reflect those most commonly used in southern France.

Summer savory is the more versatile of the two varieties. It adds just the right note when making a chicken broth, is good with eggs, and adds a lively depth of flavor to bean dishes.

In many dishes, savory can serve as a flavorful substitute for salt.