Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette, a delicious, light dressing made with fresh basil, bright lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It’s easy to make and ready in only 5 minutes!
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Lemon Basil Vinaigrette came together because my basil plants were growing out of control and I acquired a ton of lemons recently (thanks, dad!).
After brainstorming all the delicious ways I could use both ingredients, I ended up making several different items including this wonderful lemony salad dressing.
This beautiful yellow and green vinaigrette really does taste as good as it looks.
The lemon juice gives it a slight tartness that the olive oil helps smooth out, and the fresh basil adds a fabulous freshness.
Even my ranch-loving kids liked it! In fact, we blew through this dressing so fast, I had to make another batch a couple days later.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
How to make this vinaigrette:
- Simply throw everything in a mason jar and shake it vigorously. If you don’t have a mason jar, just whisk it really well in a bowl and stir it again right before serving.
- After you mix all the ingredients together, let it sit for about 20-30 minutes so the flavors can meld. That’s it! You now have a healthy, homemade salad dressing that doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients, sweeteners, or weird preservatives that store-bought dressings have.
How to serve Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
My favorite greens to use for this vinaigrette is a combination of arugula and romaine.
Arugula has a fabulous, peppery bite to it and romaine is nice and crunchy, so they make a great duo. However, this dressing would be great on any of your favorite greens!
Besides a salad dressing, Lemon Basil Vinaigrette would be great drizzled over grilled veggies, or spooning some on top of a Mediterranean style burrito bowl with rice or quinoa.
Looking for more salad dressings? Here are some favorites:
NOTES:
- I wouldn’t use dried basil in place of the fresh basil in this recipe. Dried basil imparts a sweet flavor, and you really want the herbaceous flavor of fresh basil.
- I can’t stand paying $2.00 for a tiny plastic case of basil leaves, so if you don’t already have a basil plant, I highly recommend them. Just stick it in a window, water it when the soil starts to look dry or the leaves seem droopy and you’ll always have fresh basil whenever you need it.
- For the best flavor, I only use fresh lemon juice.
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Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Equipment
- mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 large garlic clove smashed with the flat side of a knife's blade, then minced
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 10-12 large basil leaves sliced thinly
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- several grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake really well, or whisk ingredients in a bowl until incorporated. Stir or shake right before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store the vinaigrette in the mason jar in the fridge. It should be good for up to a week.
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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This goes very good with seasoned air fried chicken thighs as a topping!
Thank you for sharing, I’ve never tried that!