Basil Vinaigrette
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This easy basil vinaigrette is bursting with fresh herb flavor and comes together in just minutes. Keep a jar in the fridge for salads, vegetables, sandwiches, and more.
This basil vinaigrette is one of those recipes I look forward to making every summer. It’s packed with fresh basil, comes together in minutes, and is an easy way to add bright, herby flavor to everything from salads and vegetables to grilled chicken, fish, and fresh mozzarella or burrata.
Still have basil to use? My pesto sauce is delicious on everything from pasta and pizza to sandwiches and salads. Or, if you’ve got parsley overflowing too, try the dressing from my Big Italian Salad—it calls for generous amounts of both basil and parsley.
“This was so ridiculously good that I just made two more batches. Jenn, you are my culinary idol!”
What You’ll Need To Make Basil Vinaigrette
To make basil vinaigrette, you’ll need fresh basil, garlic, white wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. For best results, make sure to use good quality vinegar and olive oil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add ingredients to the food processor. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Step 2: Blend. Process the ingredients until smooth and bright green. Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Be sure to shake it well to re-emulsify before using. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Use it fresh for the best flavor. Basil can lose its brightness in the freezer, so aim to use the vinaigrette within 5 days and store it in the fridge.
- Be mindful when marinating. This vinaigrette works well as a marinade, but stick to dark meat or bone-in chicken—acidic marinades can toughen lean cuts like chicken breasts.
- A blender works too. No food processor? Just toss everything in a blender and blend until smooth and vibrant green.
- Use it beyond salads. This basil vinaigrette is just as good tossed with roasted vegetables or baby potatoes as it is drizzled over or a summery pasta salad. It’s even great on grilled corn—any fresh, seasonal produce will soak up the flavor.
More Salad Dressings You’ll Love
Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, best quality such as Lucini
- Scant 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons honey
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine all of the ingredients. Process until smooth and bright green. Store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; shake to re-emulsify before using.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I also have lots of basil and the recipe couldn’t have been more timely. I find it too vinegary, though. Is there something I can add to offset it? Appreciate any feedback!
Hi Jackie, You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more oil. Enjoy!
This reminds me of a favorite recipe from Armadillo Cafe in Davie, Florida! It calls for caramelized sugar and lemon juice. Your version is easier to make, wonderful! I love all of your recipes, thank you for all of your hard work!
Great flavor! My basil didn’t process down quite enough in my food processor, so it lacked the bright green color. I will try using my vitamix next time.
Jenn, perfect, perfect, perfect! This is such great way to use up my prolific basil. It took 5 minutes to make and is absolutely delicious. Once you make your own dressing you will NEVER go back to store bought. Served over tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and fresh mozzarella alongside grilled chicken.
My basil is getting away from me, so the timing of this recipe is perfect! But, if we don’t have a good white wine vinegar on hand, would a good apple cider vinegar or a rice vinegar be a successful substitute? Thank you so much!
Yep – either one 🙂
Delicious! Perfect summer dressing. We are staying at a VRBO so I rough chopped basil and made it in a blender. I used mostly vegetables and some spring mix. Looking forward to using the leftovers on tomatoes and mozzarella. Thank you! This really made the dinner!
Made this exactly but used my stick mixer. Absolutely delicious on our summer garden salad. Thanks Jenn!
I have searched high and low for a basil vinaigrette that would match our favorite from a restaurant in Oregon. It is served as a blackened salmon salad. This was 5 + stars!!! Now, we need good Coho salmon to come to our land locked state. 😉
Hi Jenn,
This recipe looks great!
Could you please tell me which model of the small food processor you used to make the dressing?
Thank You!
Hi Stefanie, I used my Cuisinart 14-cup food processor for this, but they do make a 4-cup version that I think should work for most salad dressings.
Sounds delicious and I definitely plan on making it but with the abundance of basil can this be frozen.
Love your recipes!
Just made a triple batch of your zucchini bread, and everybody loved it, was told it was my best ever