A fresh, homemade basil balsamic vinaigrette you can make in 5 minutes! Simple ingredients, delicious flavor, and perfect for everyday cooking. Pair it with everything from salads and roasted veggies to chicken, or use it as a marinade. Try easy maple Dijon dressing or fig balsamic dressing for more homemade salad dressings.
Making your own salad dressings at home is better (and cheaper) than store-bought dressings. This vinaigrette recipe combines fresh basil leaves, tangy balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and spices! Make the creamy balsamic dressing your go-to basic salad dressing or marinade.
Key Ingredients
- Basil: Prioritize fresh basil leaves, discarding any bruised or wilted leaves; it’s a great way to use leftover basil leaves from pistachio pesto or burrata bruschetta.
- Garlic: I suggest using four garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use white balsamic vinegar or aged balsamic vinegar that has a slightly sweeter taste.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard adds creaminess and helps the dressing not to break.
- Spices: Include pantry spices like dried oregano, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper.
- Olive Oil: Good quality extra-virgin olive oil is an ideal foundation for the balsamic basil vinaigrette. Avocado oil or canola oil are good substitutes.
Additions and Substitutions
- Make it Sweet. Include honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup for a sweeter dressing.
- Replace the Vinegar. Use white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice from one lemon instead of white balsamic vinegar.
- Add Protein. Increase the savoriness and add some extra protein with nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast made from molasses. And because it’s a complete protein, it leaves you feeling full for longer, making it a tasty ingredient for everyday salad dressing.
Equipment
Use an immersion blender, food processor, or high-speed blender to make the creamy vinaigrette. However, I highly recommend using an immersion blender when making salad dressing or sauces that require emulsification.
Use the blender cup provided with the immersion blender, a wide-mouth jar, or one of these meal prep containers to ensure the blender works correctly and to avoid a big mess.
How to Make Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine basil, garlic, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, water, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a tall cup and blend with an immersion blender, or transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, and manually pulse 5-10 times until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the olive oil into the cup or blender gradually, adding it slowly as you blend the ingredients.
Tips for Emulsification
What is Emulsification?
Emulsification is a fancy cooking term for combining ingredients that do not naturally mix, such as oil and vinegar, and making them stay together with an emulsifier.
What is an Emulsifier?
An emulsifier acts like a bridge between two opposing ingredients, holding them together in a smooth, stable mixture. The best emulsifiers contain water and oil-friendly properties to help the ingredients combine. The most common emulsifiers include egg yolks, mustard, mayonnaise, soybeans, honey, and xanthan gum.
How to Create a Stable Emulsification
If you want to learn how to make homemade vinaigrette, dressing, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or mayonnaise, then learning how to create a stable emulsification is key. Plus, it’s easier than you think!
- Adjust the Consistency: If the mixture gets too thick, add more water-based liquid to thin it out while continuing to mix.
- Choose an Emulsifier: Select an emulsifying ingredient based on what you are making.
- Combine the Ingredients: Mix the water-based ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice with an emulsifier.
- Slowly Add Oil: Add a few drops, then pour the oil gradually in a slow, steady stream while whisking or blending the ingredients. The gradual addition helps to achieve a stable emulsion (so the two liquids combine instead of separate).
Whip up the 5-minute basil balsamic vinaigrette and pair it with your favorite salad recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Fresh herbs are a great way to enhance a dish’s flavor, and this salad dressing is no exception! Basil balsamic vinaigrette is a tasty addition to any salad, like creamy burrata Caprese and grinder salad, or just serve it with raw salad greens like arugula, endives, or chicory.
Use the herb vinaigrette to marinate grilled chicken breast, shrimp, or fish.
Drizzle it over sandwiches and subs like the viral Bella Hadid sandwich recipe or use it as a dip for a vegetable crudité platter.
Meal Prep the Dressing
Vinaigrette is easy to make ahead of time because it tastes even better as the ingredients have time to combine. Prepare the dressing 1-2 days before you’re ready to serve, great for the holidays or weekly meal prep.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store leftover basil balsamic vinaigrette in an airtight container or a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 1 week. The dressing will thicken once refrigerated because of the oil. Remove the dressing 30 minutes before you need it, and give it a good shake or stir.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dried basil?
I want to say no because there really is no replacement for fresh basil flavor (unless you use another fresh herb like mint or dill) to make the basil balsamic vinaigrette. However, if dried basil is all you have, add 2-3 teaspoons.
What’s the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette?
Balsamic vinegar is a concentrated, dark vinegar made from aged grape must (the juice of freshly pressed grapes). The condiment has an intense flavor that adds richness to salads, fruits, cheeses, and meats.
Balsamic vinaigrette is a salad dressing crafted from balsamic vinegar and oil. It often includes ingredients like Dijon mustard, honey, fresh garlic, herbs, and spices.
What’s the difference between balsamic vinaigrette and balsamic dressing?
Both condiments use balsamic vinegar as a base. Vinaigrettes commonly include basic ingredients such as olive oil in a 3:1 or 2:1 ratio (depending on your preference) and an emulsifier like Dijon mustard.
Balsamic dressing refers to any dressing that includes balsamic vinegar and can have a thicker, creamier consistency compared to a vinaigrette.
More Vinaigrette Recipes:
Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar or aged balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Combine basil, garlic, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, water, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a tall cup and blend with an immersion blender, or transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, and manually pulse 5-10 times until smooth.
- Pour the olive oil into the cup or blender gradually, adding it slowly as you blend the ingredients.
- Adjust the Consistency: If the mixture gets too thick, add more water-based liquid to thin it out while continuing to mix.
- Choose an Emulsifier: Select an emulsifying ingredient based on what you are making.
- Combine the Ingredients: Mix the water-based ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice with an emulsifier.
- Slowly Add Oil: Add a few drops, then pour the oil gradually in a slow, steady stream while whisking or blending the ingredients. The gradual addition helps to achieve a stable emulsion (so the two liquids combine instead of separate).