This easy homemade basil vinaigrette only has 5 ingredients! Use it for salads, serve with grilled fish or meat, add to a crudité platter, the possibilities are endless!
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Fresh basil vinaigrette is a true gift of summer! Packed with flavor, yet it only has 5 ingredients, and you can make it in less than 5 minutes.
How many steps in this recipe? ONE! Just zip it all in a blender or food processor
Make basil vinaigrette to enjoy the taste of fresh basil all summer long, and as an alternative to pesto when you have a bumper crop of it that you need to use up quickly.
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Basil vinaigrette is fresh, simple and so much more than salad dressing!
- LOADED with fresh basil,
- Only 5 ingredients!
- Made in 5 minutes (or less!) in a food processor or blender.
- Basil vinaigrette is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, gluten free and dairy free!
- Great for salads, sandwiches, and dips.
Ingredients you'll need
- Fresh basil: Really fresh basil from your garden or the farmers market will work best for this recipe, but store bought will do in a pinch.
- Red wine vinegar: Since it's a bit milder than some others, red wine vinegar won't overpower the taste of the fresh basil in the vinaigrette.
- Olive oil: Use a high quality olive oil. There are only a few ingredients, so make sure they're the best!
- Garlic
- Kosher salt
Recommended tools and equipment
- Microplane grater: This is optional, but I like to grate the garlic before adding, because it gives the basil vinaigrette a smoother texture.
- Blender or food processor: If using a food processor, I recommend a mini one or doubling the recipe. There's not enough volume here for a large food processor.
How to make basil vinaigrette
Step 1: Grate garlic, blend all ingredients!
Grate the garlic clove on a microplane grater. Place all ingredients in a blender or mini-food processor and pulse to combine.
I used my Magic Bullet blender for this and it worked really well since it's a small amount of ingredients.
Tips for basil vinaigrette
- I like to grate the garlic before blending so that you don't get big chunks of garlic in the dressing and the flavor gets evenly distributed throughout the vinaigrette.
- Don't run the blender or food processor any longer than necessary. The heat from the blades can cause the basil to discolor and you won't have that bright green color.
Storage instructions
Store basil vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Then make more!!) You'll need to let it stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving because the olive oil tends to become more solid when chilled.
Serving Suggestions
Basil vinaigrette is a fantastic dressing for almost any salad, but there are countless other ways to use it all summer long!
- Spread on sandwiches for great summer flavor.
- Use as a dip for raw veggies.
- Basil vinaigrette is a key component of this Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad.
- Drizzle over a simple Roast Chicken or Crispy Roasted Potatoes.
- Serve as a sauce with grilled fish.
More recipes with basil
So many ways to use basil!
- Pesto is an obvious choice that no one hates, so just do it!
- Well then of course you have to make Pesto Pasta.
- Use basil like lettuce in this Strawberry Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint.
Recipe
Basil Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves loosely packed
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Grate the garlic clove on a microplane grater. Place all ingredients in a blender or mini-food processor and pulse to combine.
Notes
- I like to grate the garlic before blending so that you don't get big chunks of garlic in the dressing and the flavor gets evenly distributed throughout the vinaigrette.
- Don't run the blender or food processor any longer than necessary. The heat from the blades can cause the basil to discolor and you won't have that bright green color.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Then make more!!)
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