Honey Basil Vinaigrette

This Honey Basil Vinaigrette is one of my favorite ways to use up fresh herbs in the garden. It’s packed with herby flavor, and has a subtle sweetness from honey and apple cider vinegar. Though basil is the shining star here, I love adding in other fresh herbs as well, like rosemary, oregano, or thyme. It’s not only great drizzled over salad but also used more like a sauce on grilled veggies, layered caprese style salads, and even in pasta dishes and grain bowls.

Ingredients and Equipment

• Apple Cider Vinegar – you can substitute a variety of vinegars here for different flavors, but my favorite is definitely apple cider vinegar. It complements the honey for the perfect balance of tart and sweet. I recommend Bragg’s ACV for the best results.
  
• Honey – honey adds both flavor and sweetness. I’ve also used agave nectar when I’ve been out of honey and it also worked well.
  
• Garlic – for best results use fresh garlic as opposed to garlic powder.
  
• Fresh Basil – there is no substitute for fresh basil here. You are also welcome to add or substitute part of it for other favorite herbs.
  
• Oil – olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil all work well here. Olive oil will impart a flavor, and avocado or vegetable oil will be neutral.

Instructions

1. Blend Vinegar, garlic, honey, and salt in a blender.
2. Add fresh basil, and any other herbs you would like, blend well.
3. With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle in oil in a steady stream.

Serving Suggestions

This Honey Basil Vinaigrette is great on any favorite salad, but is also incredibly versatile beyond the salad bowl. I love it on grilled veggies, drizzled over sandwiches (BLT’s!), over rice bowls or pasta with grilled chicken or steak, or with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fruit. Try in with one of these dishes!

Layered Caprese Salad

Bite Sized Caprese Appetizers

Peach Basil Caprese

Honey Basil Vinaigrette

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sara Wells
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: A little over 1 cup dressing

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Description

Fresh basil, garlic, and honey create a fantastically flavored dressing that works for not only salads, but drizzled on grain bowls, vegetables, or sandwiches.

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Ingredients

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (I recommend Bragg’s brand)
1 clove garlic (or 2 smaller, about 1 teaspoon finely minced or pressed)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 oz fresh basil leaves, about 2 cups lightly packed*
1 cup olive oil, or other oil of your choice

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Instructions

Place vinegar, garlic, salt, and honey in a *blender (see note below) and blend until well combined.  Honey has a tendency to sink and stick to the bottom of the blender, so scrape with a spatula if needed.

Add basil and process until smooth and bright green.

With blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in oil in a steady stream until emulsified.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  You may need to let come to room temp after chilling since olive oil tends to solidify.

*Blender note:  I use a Blendtec brand blender that has an option of a smaller size jar.  This smaller jar works perfectly for this recipe, but I’ve found when I use my extra large blender jar, there’s not quite enough liquid to blend properly in the first step.  Keep this in mind and use a smaller size blender jar if you have that option, or simply double the recipe for a large jar.

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Notes

Feel free to add a few extra tablespoons of other herbs of your choice, if desired.

Keywords: basil honey vinaigrette