My Cup Runneth Over… with Garlic Basil Vinaigrette
I’m not much of a gardener but I do enjoy fresh herbs, especially fresh basil during the summer. Maybe it’s because of all the rain that we’ve had this year, but I have a bumper crop of basil.
Since that never happens, I planted THREE basil plants this past Spring. Now I have So. Much. Basil.
A friend posted a link this morning, 7 Plant Powered Salad Dressings, and I found one that uses fresh basil. (I can’t wait to try some of the others.)
Out came my immersion blender and its mixing “bowl.” I was properly equipped and ready to start whipping up fresh salad dressing.
I had all of the ingredients in my pantry, garden and fridge, so within minutes I had very nice batch of Garlic Basil Vinaigrette. Perfect for my late lunch.
I did change the recipe a little for my taste. An extra Tablespoon of vinegar, some fresh Parmesan cheese and a pinch of crushed red pepper made it just right. All are optional but I like my dressing zippy. So just adjust it to your taste.
What are the ingredients for Garlic Basil Vinaigrette?
- garlic
- fresh basil
- extra-virgin olive oil
- honey
- white balsamic vinegar or cider vinegar
- crushed red pepper flakes
- grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
How do you make Garlic Basil Vinaigrette?
You can mix this in a food processor or blender. You can even chop up all the fresh herbs and whisk the vinaigrette together by hand.
I love to use my hand-held immersion (stick) blender for fresh dressings.
Just rough chop the herbs and add all the ingredients to the container that came with the immersion blender. A large Mason jar works well for this, too.
I just blend it up until the mixture is nearly smooth. SIMPLE! The recipe makes about 1/2 cup of vinaigrette.
Garlic Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic rough chopped or minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil rough chopped
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using a hand-held immersion (stick blender) or food processor, BLEND all of the ingredients until well combined and nearly smooth.
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