This homemade basil vinaigrette is a delicious salad dressing that's also perfect as a sauce for bowl recipes, pasta salad, roasted veg, or even drizzled over meat or fish! Use up all that fresh basil with a salad dressing that's ready in five minutes.
Okay, how many times have you had basil go bad too quickly?? Ugh, me too. More times than I can count. It helps that I finally got a basil plant so it stays fresh, but I still need to harvest and use it. So long story short, I'm always looking for new ways to use up fresh basil, sometimes in large amounts!
While homemade pesto is a staple, I do like to change things up once in a while, and this fresh basil dressing has been one of my favorites lately. It makes a small batch, so we're actually able to use up the dressing within a week. And it can be used for anything from a simple leafy green side salad to a heartier grain or pasta salad.
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Key Ingredients
- Fresh basil leaves - Because this recipe makes a smaller batch, you'll use about a cup of packed basil leaves. But, if you want to use more basil or just want a larger amount vinaigrette, feel free to double the recipe (simply click '2x' on the recipe card below to make calculating easy).
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar - I also love an aged sherry vinegar here, and rice vinegar is a really nice, mellow vinegar that I use in salad dressings a lot.
- Dijon mustard - Just a small amount helps emulsify vinaigrette and add flavor.
How to Make This Your Own
- Lemon basil vinaigrette (or lime!) - Add in the juice of a juicy lemon or lime, and ½ teaspoon of the zest. I use the lime version in my roasted beet and avocado salad with farro, and it is one of my all-time favorite salads!
- Maple syrup - Feel free to use natural cane sugar, honey, or agave as alternatives to maple syrup.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Basil Salad Dressing
Step 1: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender.
Step 2: Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust salt and/or maple syrup if desired.
When you're done making this vinaigrette, you'll definitely want to try cherry vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette!
Ways to Use This Dressing
We love this basil dressing in salads, grain bowls, pasta salads, or as a sauce to drizzle over meats and fish. I especially love the way it can tie together a bowl recipe with grains, veggies, and protein-a great meal to use up a whole bunch of veggies or odds and ends in your fridge.
You could drizzle it over this peach basil balsamic chicken or use it to dip some easy air fryer squash... it's pretty all-purpose, so it's hard to go wrong.
Other Ways to Use Up Fresh Basil
If you still have more to use, it's a great problem to have! Try adding fresh basil to this caprese pasta salad with grapes, blend it up into this peach basil gazpacho, or make some fresh pesto for this fresh pesto potato salad.
More Pairing Ideas
Basil vinaigrette is so versatile! Below are a few recipes I recommend enjoying it with:
Did you make this basil vinaigrette recipe? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
Print📖 Recipe
Homemade Basil Dressing for Using Up Fresh Basil
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup, ~4 servings 1x
Description
This small batch homemade basil vinaigrette recipe is perfect for using up fresh summer basil! Use it as a dressing for any salad, grain bowls, pasta salads, or even drizzled over meats, fish, and roasted veggies.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ shallot, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp maple syrup or natural cane sugar
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ tsp salt (taste and adjust)
- â…› tsp pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Add ingredients. Combine all ingredients in your blender or food processor.
- Blend. Blend until completely smooth, then taste and adjust salt if needed.
Notes
- Storage. Basil vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight jar or container in the fridge and is best enjoyed within a week.
- Serving ideas. Serve basil vinaigrette with any salad, pasta salad, grilled/roasted veggies, meat, or seafood. Even dipping bread (grilled, anyone?) is delicious as an appetizer.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Salad Dressing
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~2 tablespoons
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 291.9 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.9 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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