The aim of the study was the qualitative evaluation of low-processed (LP) extracts of T. vulgaris obtained with “green” solvents as alternative products to commercial dense extracts (DER 4:1) from the perspective of reducing production costs and environmental footprint. Seven batches of dried thyme (T1–T7) were verified for total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and essential-oil content (EOC) in order to select the sample with optimal chemical composition. The selected herb (T1, TPC = 124 mg · g⁻¹, TFC = 100 mg · g⁻¹, 1.88 % v/w) was then extracted (2 g · 100 mL⁻¹, 10 min) with water, nanowater, 65 % glycerol–water and 50 % ethanol–water over a temperature range adapted to the properties of the solvent systems (25 °C, 50 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C). Yields were referenced to an exhaustive 70 % methanol extract and compared with two dense market extracts. The highest recoveries for LP extracts were obtained for water at 100 °C – 38.6 % (TPC) and 33.2 % (TFC). In contrast, dense extracts reached maximal TPC and TFC recoveries of 12.8 % and 11.6 %, respectively, despite approximately 66-fold higher TPC and about 70-fold higher TFC concentrations compared with classical thyme infusions, indicating considerable losses of the plant’s phytochemical potential during concentration. The results show that the traditional hot-water infusion enables recovery of up to one-third of the bioactive compounds (TPC and TFC) present in thyme herb without the costly evaporation and complex purification steps employed in the production of dense extracts. LP extracts therefore represent a cost-effective, more environmentally friendly ingredient for functional foods and can replace or complement dense extracts, especially in products oriented towards sustainable development.