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.