Basil Vinaigrette (and 20+ recipes to use it!)

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Hands down one of the most popular creations here - my simple Basil Vinaigrette Recipe. Not even exaggerating, it's the best vinaigrette in the world and it's going to make your recipes THAT much better! The versatility is epic. Its perfect for a Loaded Salad, to this delicious summer Tomato Basil Pasta, and so many amazing fish recipes such as this grilled salmon.

basil vinaigrette recipe in a weck jar with a square glass olive oil bottle in the background, a few basil leaves on the table with a spoon dipped in basil vinaigrette on the table


 

Why I Love This Recipe

I’m all about taking a shortcut in the kitchen every now and then – and that is exactly what this Basil Vinaigrette allows me to do! It’s my go-to basil salad dressing (and has been since I first posted it in 2014) for all of my favorite summer meals and you’ll be seeing it make an appearance in a few recipes over the next several weeks as I try to stretch out this California summer until November 🙂  

I whip up a batch of Basil Vinaigrette every few days and keep it on hand for anytime I’m in a pinch and need to eat something STAT. It goes beautifully on a salad, on top of come cooked vegetables, mixed into a pasta or rice, topped on some chicken, steak or fish... you get the idea. It literally works with everything. It can very easily brighten up, or just be a great change for your go-to recipes, like an alternate dressing for the whole roasted cauliflower.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients: shallot, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper measured and prepped out on a blue enamel tray
  • Shallot
  • Basil
  • Garlic
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Olive Oil
  • Red Wine Vinegar
  • Salt & Pepper

*See recipe card for all specifics and alterations.

How to Make Basil Vinaigrette

Basil Vinaigrette Ingredients: shallot, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a high powered blender.

Blended basil vinaigrette in a food processor.

Step 2: Blend for 60 seconds until very smooth.

Blended basil vinaigrette in a food processor with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Step 4: Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.

Tips & Tricks

A few things to keep in mind as you make the worlds most perfect basil vinaigrette recipe:

  • Look for a small shallot. You don't want a HUGE shallot as that will affect how the end result tastes. If you can only find a large one, just use 1-2 tablespoons worth of chopped shallot.
  • Use a decent quality olive oil. Something that you could use as a salad dressing. If you use something that's too flavored etc, that will affect the taste of the vinaigrette
  • Season to taste!! Always! So important to try the sauce and then adjust salt as needed.
  • Feel free to add other herbs as you please. Cilantro mixed with basil is excellent. Chives are amazing mixed in too!
  • If you love this recipe as much as me - try making the cilantro vinaigrette version too!

Recipe FAQs

What is basil vinaigrette made of?

This Basil Vinaigrette recipe is made of fresh basil, a small shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt! You can add a few cracks of black pepper too if you prefer!

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing?

The basic formula is 2 parts oil to 1 part of vinegar plus all the add ins like shallot, garlic, salt and pepper. This recipe has just a touch less vinegar than normal but feel free to up it per your taste preference.

Favorite Recipes to use with Basil Vin

AND - you guys asked for it on Insta live recently. Here are a billion additional ideas on how to use this basil vinaigrette recipe:

Basil vinaigrette in a weck jar with a spoon covered in vinaigrette propped up on the jar and a sprig of basil in bottom right corner.

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Simple Basil Vinaigrette

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 65 votes
The most delicious basil vinaigrette recipe you'll ever encounter! Add it to veggies, chicken, fish, steak, pasta, salad dressings.... skies the limit! You'll want to slather it on everything all summer long.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 10 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small shallot roughly chopped
  • 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves stems removed (about 4 ounces)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine all the ingredients for the basil vinaigrette in a high powered blender and blend for 60 seconds until very smooth.
  • Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately. Or you can refrigerate the vinaigrette for up to 3-5 days.

Notes

  • Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Feel free to mix in some other herbs if you want! Basil combined with cilantro and chives are excellent. Parsley is another great addition if you want things a bit more earthy. 
  • This freezes beautifully! Portion it out into a ice cube tray and freeze. Then when you are ready to use, pop out a cube and let come to room temperature and use as needed.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 235mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 283IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!

Photo by Matt Armendariz // Food Styling by Adam Pearson // Recipe by What's Gaby Cooking

200 Comments

  1. I made this for the 2nd time today and tripled the recipe. It tastes incredibly salty for some reason… any idea why? Or how to counter the salt? Confirmed we measured correctly.

  2. 5 stars
    You can only make so much pesto and spaghetti sauce in the summer when your basil comes in. This was absolutely amazing!

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve made this dressing twice in less than a week & have considered drinking it straight out of the blender (but refrained). It’s delicious on salad or any thing else you wanna put it on. Thank you!

  4. I have so much basil from my plant so I’m gonna make this! Can I marinade this in chicken? Looks delish!

  5. This is SO good! This morning I made avocado toast and put a fried egg on top...very runny yolk...and put some of this on top. It was AMAZING! It made it's own little sauce.
    Thanks very much for this recipe! I'll be using it on everything!

  6. 5 stars
    So delicious! Both we and my kids adored this and ate it with salad and grilled halibut. Can it be prepared in advance if hosting?

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