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 looks so good! What a versatile dressing to have on hand
Thank you, Suzanne! I love having my own dressings available.
Excellent! So yummy I doubled the recipe. Can this be stored on the counter or in the fridge? How long is the shelf life, approximately?
Thank you for sharing this healthy & delicious recipe.
Diane
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Diane! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
You should keep this in the fridge so it lasts the longest. Its shelf life will depend on several factors, so it’s hard to say. The oil will turn rancid when it is no longer good.
I’ve made this several times. It’s so refreshing especially good with a salad or some grilled chicken
Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the dressing, Susan! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating! 🙂
Sounds outstanding my poor basil plant went droppy overnight. Trimmed all the leaves I have alot of basil. Question will avocado work in place of oil? Im trying to limit my oils because of gi issues. Thank you 🙂
Yes! Avocado oil is a great substitute for olive oil. Hope you enjoy the recipe! (And sorry about your plant – but yay for getting to use up that basil!)
This recipe is delicious. I made bow tie pasta, added broccoli flourets (uncooked), carrots, romaine lettuce, purple onion and English Cucumbers. Then tossed with this dressing and added chopped avocado on top…..soooooo light, refreshing and super tasty.
Oh that sounds divine, Traci! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
Delicious Need to double the recipe!! I used fresh garlic
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
One of the more delicious vinaigrette I have done. Thank you
Yay, Beatriz! So happy you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
Hi, I don’t like honey or maple syrup. Antysubstitutions? Thanks, Nora
Absolutely, Nora! You can always use Agave Nectar or even use regular sugar (but be sure to use a little less since it is quite a bit sweeter!)
Thanks, I will.
I like this dressing. I’m not a fan of using balsamic vinegars in dressings as my palette tends to find it quite bitter.
For this dressing, I added more lemon and a bit more honey.
I freeze my dressings in tiny dollar store containers and simply defrost them as I use them on my salads.
What a great idea to freeze them in those containers! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Very different dressing but we liked it a lot. Added a little red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, and extra lemon to mellow the sweetness. We put this on roasted veggies and grated carrots. Thank you for sharing.
Yum! I bet the garlic was a great addition. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂