This white balsamic and basil vinaigrette is so versatile! It’s especially terrific on salads with berries or other fruit. It has a bright fresh flavor that’s not too sweet. It’s so easy to make your own salad dressing, you might never go back to store bought!
It’s Better Homemade-
I say this a lot, but it’s so true. There are many items we buy in a jar, can, or box that with a few simple ingredients we can make ourselves. They taste better of course, but it’s also nice to know just exactly what’s in the food you’re eating.
Especially when it comes to salad dressing, why limit yourself to the bottles on the grocery store shelf, when you can come up with an infinite number of combinations at home in your own kitchen? This dressing is a favorite of mine, and it’s good on so many salads!
White Balsamic Vinegar
If you have not been using this in your kitchen, you need to get yourself some! It has a mild flavor that is perfect for a salad dressing because it has a mild flavor that won’t overpower other ingredients. I love it’s sweet/ tart flavor. It is fabulous for glazing roasted or sauteed vegetables as well.
I actually prefer white balsamic in most applications where white wine vinegar would be used because it has a milder flavor, but it also has a bit more depth. White wine vinegar is a bit of a one trick pony, it’s just pungent and that’s really about it. That definitely has its place, but in situations where I want a nice layering of flavors without one thing taking over, white balsamic is my go to.
In fact, this very recipe is the perfect example of how this vinegar compliments rather than overpowers. The mild flavor allows the fresh basil to shine in a way that it might not if another vinegar were used. The flavor of the honey also comes through nicely for the same reason. White balsamic and basil is just a great combination!
Recipe Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend using dried, it is just not going to have the same flavor.
I would use something that does not have a strong flavor. Buckwheat honey or orange honey would be too strong here. I would use something more neutral such as Clover or Acacia. Wildflower or Fireweed would be nice as well. Just be sure to buy raw local honey if you can, it’s the best!
Yes! This is an easy recipe to multiply. In fact, making a lot of this at one time is one way I like to use up excess basil!
You can! In fact, I would recommend that if you want to make a larger amount of this to have extra on hand.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to eat this is on a strawberry feta salad (pictured right here in this post). It’s great on watermelon, feta, and mint salad too. The bright freshness really plays nicely with bitter greens such as arugula or radicchio, and berries. This is fabulous tossed with some roasted vegetables also! Any salad that contains a funky or pungent cheese such as feta or gorgonzola, or fruit such as blackberry or kiwi would be a nice pairing with this vinaigrette thanks to its sweetness. It’s pretty amazing on grilled chicken as well!
Looking for another recipe using white balsamic vinegar? I use it in the yummy dressing for my arugula salad with parmesan, pear, and pecans. I hope you love this white balsamic and basil vinaigrette! If you made this recipe, please leave a rating or comment and share with friends on social media. You can also share a photo of your finished dish on Instagram and tag me @thecoppertable. If you have not signed up for my weekly newsletter, you can do that below. Each week, I send all the latest updates and exclusive content you won’t find on the blog.
I hope this recipe inspires you to make more of your own salad dressings at home. Happy Cooking!
White Balsamic and Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup neutral flavored oil such as Grapeseed or Avocado Oil
- 2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 10 large leaves of Fresh Basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place the oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper in a bowl (if using an immersion blender) or in a blender if using a standard blender.
- Roughly chop the basil and add it the bowl or blender. Blend until smooth, and taste for salt and pepper. Add more if needed.
Notes
Be sure to use a mild flavored honey here such as clover, acacia, or fireweed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 227Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 584mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 0g
All information presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian and any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is provided for recipes contained on this site. This information comes from online calculators. Although The Copper Table attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I have a couple of pots of basil! Must try this! Wonder how it would taste with holy or thai basil!
I have not tried it with either variety but I am sure it would be very good!
I have never thought about making my own dressing because I never use one in salads, but this idea I love! And will try very soon!
I hope you enjoy this dressing, its lovely on so many different salads!
I love homemade salad dressing and this will be my first one using grapeseed or avocado oil. Yum!! Great tips too!
Thank you Melinda! I like avocado and grapeseed for their mild flavor. I hope you love this recipe!
What a gorgeous green dressing. So vibrant and I bet so flavoursom!
Thank you Cindy! I love this dressing on most salads, and I hope you do too!