Fresh Basil Vinaigrette for Salads and Marinades

This Basil Vinaigrette recipe is quick and easy to make and bursts with bright, fresh basil flavor. It’s perfect for drizzling on salads, pizzas, pastas, soups, grilled meat, roasted vegetables and more.

These past few weeks we’ve had the pleasure of hosting family from Kansas City, and their visit coincided with an ideal spell of warm weather here in Barcelona. While they settled into our small balcony spaces—reading, writing and enjoying the sunshine—my mother-in-law helped revive our planter boxes and turned them back into a thriving little herb garden.

After a cold winter and some neglected watering, almost everything had struggled, but with a bit of attention our balconies filled up again with fragrant herbs. Best of all, we now have an abundance of fresh basil. To celebrate the return of basil season, I made my favorite basil vinaigrette, a simple dressing that takes just minutes to prepare and tastes like summer.

Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients

All you need for a bright, herb-forward vinaigrette is a handful of fresh basil and a few pantry staples. The blender will handle the garlic and emulsify the dressing for a silky finish.

• 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or another mild-flavored oil)
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or champagne, apple cider, or rice vinegar)
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard to round the flavors
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to accent, not to make it spicy

How to Make the Basil Vinaigrette

Making this dressing is simple:

1. Place the basil leaves, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and Dijon (if using) into a blender or small food processor.
2. Puree until completely smooth. If the dressing seems too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time and blend until you reach your preferred consistency.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or vinegar as needed.
4. Serve immediately or transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If chilled, let it sit at room temperature briefly and give it a quick whisk or shake before using.

Ways to Use This Basil Vinaigrette

This versatile vinaigrette works in many roles:

• Dressing: Toss with greens or pasta salads for a bright, herbaceous finish.
• Finishing drizzle: Spoon over roasted or grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, or warm grain bowls.
• Pizza and flatbreads: Drizzle over a finished pizza or flatbread in place of a heavier sauce.
• Dip: Serve with raw vegetable sticks, breadsticks, or crostini.
• Mix-in: Stir a spoonful into hummus, yogurt-based dips or mashed avocado to add fresh basil flavor.
• Marinade brush: Use a light coating to brush on sandwiches, panini or grilled sandwiches for extra moisture and flavor.

Recipe Details

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Course: Sauce / Dressing
Cuisine: Italian-inspired

Ingredients (with amounts)

• 2 cups tightly-packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• (Optional) 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
2. If the vinaigrette is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water, one at a time, blending until you reach the desired consistency.
3. Taste and adjust salt, pepper or vinegar as needed.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and shake or whisk before serving if chilled.

Tips and Variations

• For a milder olive oil flavor, use a light-tasting oil such as avocado or grapeseed oil in place of extra virgin olive oil.
• Swap red wine vinegar for champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar for a softer acidity.
• Add a small handful of spinach or arugula for a slightly different color and flavor while keeping the basil profile dominant.
• If you prefer a chunkier dressing, pulse briefly in the blender instead of puréeing until completely smooth.

Happy basil season — enjoy this fresh, simple vinaigrette all summer long. If you try it, I’d love to hear how you use it or any tweaks you make.

Did you make this? Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!