This Basil Vinaigrette is our favorite summertime dressing. It's packed with garden fresh basil, tangy lemon juice and a hint of garlic. Keep this recipe on hand anytime you need a herby vinaigrette for salads, tomatoes and even grilled meats or seafood.
Summer is our favorite season for cooking because it's just so easy! This is the time of year we let fresh ingredients take center stage. It's not uncommon in the summer for us to grab some fresh veggies from the garden, maybe open a can of beans or tuna, and whip up a simple dressing like this basil vinaigrette.
This herby vinaigrette is the ideal dressing for our Burrata Caprese Salad. While it's similar to pesto, like our Homemade Basil Pesto (Food Processor) the big difference is there's no cheese or nuts, plus there's more acid (from the lemon juice). This means it is vegan and gluten-free, and quite a bit less rich and heavy compared to pesto.
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Ingredients that Matter
You want as fresh of basil as you can find. If you grow it, harvest it and use it immediately, otherwise buy what's freshest at the market.
- Basil. The star of the show here is fresh basil. Use a classic basil, like Sweet, Genovese or Lettuce basils. Using a lemon, purple or lime basil will alter the flavor and color, so stick with the classic basil flavors for this dressing.
- Lemon. Use fresh lemon juice to provide the acid and add some of the zest to impart a nice floral flavor.
- Garlic. We don't always use garlic in our basil vinaigrette, but we always love it when we do! Add a single small to medium clove of garlic and make sure you roughly chop it before blending.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. We like to use extra-virgin olive oil in our basil vinaigrette to provide a sweet, floral flavor. You can use regular olive oil or even a lighter oil like vegetable, canola or corn.
- Mustard. This ingredient is optional, but adding it will help emulsify the dressing and provide a slight pungent flavor. Feel free to leave it out if you want a straightforward basil flavored vinaigrette.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This vinaigrette is pretty simple. We always recommend giving fresh produce a good rinse, and that includes the basil. Just be sure to blot it dry before blending (a little water left on the basil is totally fine as it'll help the basil breakdown easier in the blender).
Add garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, mustard (if using) and torn basil leaves to the base of a high-speed blender. Then slowly pulse until the basil is finely chopped.
While the blender is still running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Increase the speed to blend the sauce to a smooth consistency. Transfer the vinaigrette to a mason jar or airtight container and use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (note that the bright green color will turn a dark green over time).
Hint: If the basil leaves are just spinning around in the blender and not breaking down, try adding a couple tablespoon of water. This will add bulk to the blender and help the basil break down.
Substitutions
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. There are some simple substitutions you can make based on your personal preferences:
- Spicy- If you want to add a little (or a lot) of heat to this vinaigrette, add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Thinner Sauce - This sauce is fairly thick but you can thin it out easily with a couple tablespoons of water.
- Creamy Sauce - Simply add a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise to the vinaigrette to make a creamy basil vinaigrette.
How to Use it
This dressing goes on just about anything, especially summer produce! We love it on sliced tomatoes, drizzled on steamed or grilled corn, and even simply as a dip for crusty bread. Or try spooning some on our Burrata Broschetta.
Equipment
You could make this recipe by simply finely chopping the basil and garlic with a knife, but it won't be quite the same. We recommend using a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix. We get a lot of use out of our Vitamix Professional Series. It's super powerful and we use it for everything from smoothies, blending soups and making sauces.
Storage
You can store this dressing in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Note that the bright green color will diminish over time. We do have a solution for keeping the color.
You could also pour the dressing into ice cube trays then freeze. Remove the cubes to a freezer-safe ziptop bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Any longer and the flavor will loose its diminish.
Top tip
To keep the bright green color of the vinaigrette, try first dipping the basil in boiling water for about 10 seconds then transfer immediately to ice cold water. This will "shock" the basil, helping to seal in the color even when exposed to the acid of the lemon juice and oxygen.
FAQ
To make basil vinaigrette, simply add fresh basil, garlic, salt and an acid (we like lemon juice) to the base of a blender and pulse until the basil is finely chopped. Then, while the blender is still running, slowly drizzle in oil and blend on high until smooth.
Pick a traditional basil like Genovese, Sweet or Lettuce Basil. You could also use lemon basil, but it will obviously have a different flavor compared to a sweet basil.
Basil vinaigrette will keep at room temperature for about 2 hours, any longer it should be refrigerated. Store in an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Note that the bright green color will darken over time.
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Recipe
Basil Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 10 min.
- Yield: ⅔ cup 1x
Description
This Basil Vinaigrette is our favorite summertime dressing. It's packed with garden fresh basil, tangy lemon juice and a hint of garlic. Keep this recipe on hand anytime you need an herby vinaigrette for salads, tomatoes and even grilled meats or seafood.
Ingredients
- 2 lightly packed cups torn basil leaves and tender stems (about 1 ½ oz.)
- 1 medium garlic clove, roughly chopped
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the basil well and pat dry (it's ok if they are still slightly wet as the water will help the basil breakdown in the blender). Transfer basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and mustard (if using) to the base of a blender or food processor and pulse until the basil is finely chopped. With the blender or food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and continue blending on high until smooth. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
- The bright green color of the sauce will diminish over time. To preserve the color, dip the basil in boiling water for 15 seconds then transfer immediately to ice water to lock in the color. Squeeze out as much water as possible then blend.
- Pick a traditional basil like Sweet, Genovese and Lettuce.
- Mustard is optional. Use it if you want a slight pungent flavor and to help emulsify the sauce.
- Without the mustard, the sauce will slightly separate. Simply stir together before using.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 0 min.
- Category: sauces
- Method: blending
- Cuisine: American
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