This light and tangy Lemon Basil Vinaigrette recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up a bunch of homegrown basil in the summer! It’s a super quick homemade dressing to make that tastes great over a spinach or kale salad, tossed into a quinoa salad or even used as a marinade for meats.
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Fair warning… once you try this lemon basil vinaigrette, you won’t be able to forget it.
After making it the first time, I made it three more times in the SAME week.
Once over a simple spinach salad, the next time on a summer quinoa salad, and the last as a marinade for chicken! (Yes, it even works on meat!)
You literally throw all of your ingredients into your blender or food processor, blend, and voila: you have a delightful, homemade vinaigrette ready to go.
(If you like this recipe, you’ve got to check out these other Healthy Salad Dressings next!)
Ingredients
Notes about the ingredients needed for this Lemon Basil Vinaigrette recipe are below. Jump to recipe for the exact measurements.
- Basil. If you have fresh basil from your garden, this recipe is a great way to use it up!
- Lemons. Feel free to use regular lemons, or Meyer lemons if those happen to be in season. Juice and zest are used for a double punch of lemon flavor!
- Sweetener. I used honey in this recipe, but you can also use maple syrup or agave nectar if you are vegan.
- Seasonings. A simple blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder give this vinaigrette its flavor.
- Oil. Olive oil generally gives you the best result, but you can also try avocado oil, too!
How to Make Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Below you’ll find the simple steps to make this Lemon Basil Vinaigrette recipe. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions.
1. Combine the ingredients.
The most important thing to have when making this recipe is a good high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) or food processor. This grinds up the fresh basil perfectly.
Add the basil leaves, lemon juice, honey, garlic, lemon zest, and salt to the pitcher or bowl of your blender or food processor.
2. Blend and add the oil.
While this is a super easy recipe, it’s important to take a little time at this step. After you have combined the ingredients, you’re ready to blend it up.
Turn on the blender or food processor and slowly drizzle the oil in while blending for 1 to 2 minutes. Stop when you’ve reached your desired consistency. You want the vinaigrette to be completely smooth.
3. Use or store the dressing.
This dressing is ready to use with your favorite salad!
Or, you can save it for later. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Simply let it come to room temperature then shake well before serving.
17 Simple Salad Dressings e-Book
An e-cookbook full of quick vinaigrettes and creamy dressings that are ready in under 5 minutes!
Flavor Variations to Try Next
There are a few ways you can change up this lemon vinaigrette recipe:
- Use maple syrup or agave nectar to make this vinaigrette recipe vegan.
- Change up the oil by using avocado oil.
- Feel free to experiment and use cilantro in place of the basil or even lime juice in place of the lemon!
How long will this Basil Lemon Vinaigrette Last?
Since basil is a fresh herb, it’s best to enjoy your vinaigrette within 2-3 days. After this time the basil will begin to turn brown and have an unpleasant taste. Seal in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator between uses.
If you have some leftover, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and add it to soups later in the year for an extra burst of flavor!
More Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes
You’ll find it’s so easy (and healthy!) to whip up your own salad dressings at home. Try these other tasty recipes next.
- Caeser Salad Dressing
- Thai Peanut Salad Dressing
- Ranch Dressing
- Cobb Salad Dressing
- Spicy Cashew Dressing
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing
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Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves fresh
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- ½ tsp. lemon zest
- Pinch salt plus more to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add the basil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, zest, and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse 5-10 times.1 cup basil leaves, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 garlic clove, ½ tsp. lemon zest, Pinch salt
- Slowly add oil while processing. Blend for 1-2 minutes or until vinaigrette is completely smooth.½ cup olive oil
- Use immediately or store lemon basil vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days between servings. Bring to room temperature and shake well before using.
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Notes
- Ingredients: Fresh basil and lemons are a MUST for the best flavor.
- Blending: You want a good food processor or blender so the basil gets thoroughly blended.
- Yield: You should end up with roughly ¾ cup of dressing.
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons dressing/serving.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. After this time the basil will begin to turn brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is delicious but can you tell me how much a serving size is for the 169 calories?
Hi Wendy! It should be roughly 2 tablespoons of salad dressing. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
How would this be in a kale salad?
Absolutely delicious! That’s normally what I use it in. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
I have loads of basil in my garden, so I’m so excited to make this. Think I’ll fill up my ice trays and put the cubes in a plastic bag for later.
Oh that’s a wonderful idea to put them in ice trays, Brenda! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I love how versatile and healthy this is. It can be hard to not have a million dressings in the fridge, but this covers a lot of bases!
You’re so right! Hope you enjoy the recipe, Vanessa!
This looks so good! I love the idea of putting them in the freezer! It would be easy to pop one into a lunch meal prep!
They definitely are great for meal prep! Hope you enjoy the recipe, Suzanne!
I made this last week. I have already used as salad dressing, mixed with some mayo for BLT! I now I marinated chicken it what was left!!
Yummy
Oh I LOVE all of your ideas. The chicken sounds incredible! Thanks so much for your comment!
I made this today for something different for a salad. It was light and fresh and perfect on a hot summer day, instead of the heavy dressings my family usually eats. My family tried this after I made it and we all gave it five stars. I see this recipe as one I will be making to always have in the fridge.
Hi Katy!! I am SO happy you and your family enjoyed the salad dressing so much! It’s one of our go-tos during the hot summer months, too! You might also enjoy this post that has 7 different healthy salad dressings that are super simple to make. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!!
Excellent! Thanks for sharing!!
You’re so welcome, Sandra!
Easy and delish!
Yay, Sheila! So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
This was so simple to make and delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it, Tanya!!