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. It's perfect on a classic Caprese Salad, a Loaded Salad or a Green Monster Salad, drizzled over Grilled Chicken Thighs or Grilled Vegetables with Whipped Feta, tossed into this delicious summer Tomato Basil Pasta, and even finished on grilled salmon.
Basil Vinaigrette at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: ~5 minutes
- 👪 Servings: ~8 (depends on how much you use per salad or dish)
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Mediterranean / Condiment / Dressing
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Bright, herb-forward basil with a touch of garlic and red-pepper flakes, balanced by red-wine vinegar and olive oil — fresh, zesty, and vibrant
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly
- 📦 Storage Notes: Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator up to ~5–7 days; vinaigrette also freezes well for longer-term storage (e.g., in ice cube trays for portioning)
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A versatile, fresh dressing that instantly upgrades salads, roasted veggies, pasta, or grilled proteins with a burst of basil flavor and a clean, homemade feel.
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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 easy no-cook 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.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Substitutions
🌿 Herb Swaps
- Cilantro — makes it more zippy and great for tacos, grain bowls, or grilled meats.
- Parsley — fresh and clean, great if you’re out of basil.
- Mint — adds coolness, amazing with watermelon or summer salads.
- Dill — perfect with fish or roasted veggies.
- Arugula or spinach — if you want that same green color with a peppery twist.
🧄 Flavor Boosters
- Garlic — roasted for sweetness or raw for extra punch.
- Shallot — adds a mild oniony note.
- Red pepper flakes — just a pinch for subtle heat.
- Parmesan — turns it into a basil dressing-meets-pesto hybrid.
🍋 Acid Options
- Lemon juice — the classic bright and citrusy pick.
- Red wine vinegar — adds tang and complexity.
- Champagne vinegar — delicate and elegant.
- Apple cider vinegar — slightly fruity and great for everyday use.
🫒 Oil Alternatives
- Extra virgin olive oil — always the go-to for flavor and richness.
- Avocado oil — neutral and smooth.
- Grapeseed oil — light and clean, great for a milder flavor.
🍽 Serving & Mix-In Ideas
- Use as a marinade for chicken, shrimp, or steak.
- Drizzle over roasted veggies or grain bowls.
- Toss with pasta or use as a sandwich spread.
- Mix with Greek yogurt or mayo for a creamy dip.
- Freeze in ice cube trays for easy single servings later.
*See recipe card for all specifics and alterations.
How to Make Basil Vinaigrette
Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a high powered blender.
Step 2: Blend for 60 seconds until very smooth.
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.
10 Tips + Tricks for the Best Basil Vinaigrette
A few things to keep in mind as you make the worlds most perfect basil vinaigrette recipe:
- Use super fresh basil. Bright green leaves with no dark spots make all the difference. Old basil turns the vinaigrette muddy and bitter, fresh is the move.
- Blanch the basil if you want extra-bright green. A quick 5–10 second dip in boiling water, then straight into an ice bath, keeps the color vivid. Totally optional, but very chef-y.
- Use a high-powered blender. It gives you that silky, pourable, perfectly emulsified texture. A food processor works too, but the blender makes it dreamy.
- Add the oil slowly. Pouring the olive oil in a steady stream helps it emulsify and gives you a thick, luxurious dressing instead of something separated or thin.
- Season generously. Salt + pepper bring the basil to life. Don’t be shy basil needs a good amount of seasoning to really pop.
- Start with a little vinegar, then taste. You can always add more acid, but you can’t take it away. Adjust until it hits that fresh, zingy sweet spot.
- Use good-quality olive oil. This is a no-cook sauce, so you really taste the oil. A fruity, bright extra-virgin makes the vinaigrette shine.
- Add a pinch of sugar or honey if needed. It balances the acidity and rounds out the sharp edges especially if your basil is a little peppery or your vinegar is extra punchy.
- Store it the right way. Keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to a few days. Shake before using. If the oil solidifies (totally normal!), let it sit out for a few minutes and re-shake.
- Drizzle it on everything. Salad, grilled chicken, roasted veg, pasta, grain bowls, avocado toast it’s the green sauce that makes literally everything better.
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:
- Cheesy Monkey Bread
- Basil Parmesan Grilled Corn
- Loaded Power Salad
- Chicken Shish Kebabs
- Melon Caprese Skewers
- Sweet Corn and Basil Pizza
- Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad
- Three Cheese Stromboli
- Burrata Tomato Salad
- Three Cheese Pizza
- Polenta Bar
- Grilled Salmon Skewers
- Roasted Spaghetti Squash
- BLT Bar
- Green Monster Salad
- Charred Tomato Pesto Pizza
- Spring Pea Pizza
- Basil Vinaigrette Pasta
- Summer Turkey Meatballs - the recipe itself doesn't call for the basil vinaigrette recipe but I tried it on it over the week and OMG IT IS EVERYTHING
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
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot roughly chopped (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- 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
- Use super fresh basil. Bright green leaves with no dark spots make all the difference. Old basil turns the vinaigrette muddy and bitter, fresh is the move.
- Blanch the basil if you want extra-bright green. A quick 5–10 second dip in boiling water, then straight into an ice bath, keeps the color vivid. Totally optional, but very chef-y.
- Use a high-powered blender. It gives you that silky, pourable, perfectly emulsified texture. A food processor works too, but the blender makes it dreamy.
- Add the oil slowly. Pouring the olive oil in a steady stream helps it emulsify and gives you a thick, luxurious dressing instead of something separated or thin.
- Season generously. Salt + pepper bring the basil to life. Don’t be shy basil needs a good amount of seasoning to really pop.
- Start with a little vinegar, then taste. You can always add more acid, but you can’t take it away. Adjust until it hits that fresh, zingy sweet spot.
- Use good-quality olive oil. This is a no-cook sauce, so you really taste the oil. A fruity, bright extra-virgin makes the vinaigrette shine.
- Add a pinch of sugar or honey if needed. It balances the acidity and rounds out the sharp edges especially if your basil is a little peppery or your vinegar is extra punchy.
- Store it the right way. Keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to a few days. Shake before using. If the oil solidifies (totally normal!), let it sit out for a few minutes and re-shake.
- Drizzle it on everything. Salad, grilled chicken, roasted veg, pasta, grain bowls, avocado toast it’s the green sauce that makes literally everything better.
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz // Food Styling by Adam Pearson // Recipe by What's Gaby Cooking
Easy yummy no fuss delicious
Hi Gaby,
Can I make a big batch of this and then freeze if?
Thanks!
you sure can!
Hi Gaby,
I have some pesto already made in the freezer. Do you think if I just added some red wine vinegar and some pepper flakes after defrosting would work in a pinch?
You are the bomb!
sure! yum
Made my first batch this summer and can't stop making it! This recipe is a hit with our family, love it!
Hi Gaby! Love your blog. This might be a weird question but I have recently lost 30 lbs. and I am not eating fats or oils. Is there anything to substitute for the olive oil? I have only been using Walden Farm dressings but this looks amazing. I may be out of luck but thought I would at least ask.
Thanks,
Lynne
Pretty much always have some of this (or the cilantro version) in my fridge at all times. How did I ever live without it? Makes simple salads fantastic, and elevates pasta, salmon, chicken, roasted veggies, bread... SO delicious and healthy. Thanks, Gaby!!
This is my absolute favourite dressing and I’ve made it many times. My friends rave about it and always want me to make more. However, I made it yesterday and for some reason it came out incredibly bitter and I’m wondering if the shallots or strength of garlic overpowered it. Could you please clarify if it’s a small shallot or a large one that you recommend and any suggestions on how to tone down the bitterness? I will 100% make this again but want to prevent another mishap. Thank you!
small shallot!
Thank you for this (and many other) delicious recipes! I started making this last summer and it continues to be our favorite dressing on any salad (except Caesar). My husband gets pretty disappointed if I try to make a different salad dressing.
Could you tell me how much vinaigrette this makes total? A cup? More?? Thanks so much
roughly 3/4 cup
I have had this saved for so long and I just made it this past weekend. Why did I wait so long???? This is a delicious and versatile vinaigrette that was delicious with grilled chicken, I put about a tablespoon in some fresh brussel sprouts that I was sauteing as well. This will be my summer go-to sauce as I plant so much basil for the summer and was only making pesto before now!
I could eat this superb sauce on cardboard it’s so good. We love it on chicken and veggies and pizza and left overs.
Many thanks
Hello Gaby! I love basil and I’m dying to try this, but I’m a little stumped by the nutritional information. It says that it makes 10 servings, and then the nutritional information for the 10 servings is noted, but not the size of each serving. I’m guessing tablespoons, but how many? Or possibly it’s 1/8 cup? (Sorry to be tedious, but I have to track everything I eat.)
Also, many of us are home cooks who are not intuitive in the kitchen, so when a recipe notes an ingredient like “small shallot”, it’s really helpful to people like me to give a weight/approximate weight. (That Rachael Ray “just eye ball it!” never worked for me!)
Thank you.
I’m having trouble with your ingredients on this basil vinaigrette. The things I am having trouble with are 0.6 shallots it’s roughly chopped don’t really understand how much that is, is that a half a cup a quarter of a cup whatever 0.6 clove garlic again don’t understand 0.3 teaspoons don’t understand I think it means a 10th or 3/10 of a teaspoon what is that I mean a quarter teaspoon a half teaspoon? Looked online for conversion too difficult.
where are you getting those numbers? It should read:
1 shallot roughly chopped
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves stems removed (about 4 ounces)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Thanks a lot!
Really great for a lot of dishes. The required salt is too much, I cut it in half, and it turned out well. I also only use half a larger shallot or a full small shallot (roughly a half dollar size). It would be better to list the ingredients by mass.