Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

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This basil balsamic 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!

Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

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!

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glass bottle of white balsamic and basil vinaigrette with a basil plant

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is an easy dressing you’ll make again and again. If your local grocery store sells fresh basil year round like mine does, you can enjoy this dressing any time. 

I love how easy this recipe is, and you will too! That lovely flavor only basil has really shines here, and you can even taste the honey too!

Ingredients For Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

All you need are a few things and you’ve got a killer vinaigrette!

  • Fresh Basil (preferably Genovese)
  • Honey
  • Salt and Pepper
  • White Balsamic Vinegar (more on this ingredient below)

Don’t you just love when pure magic happens from just a few simple ingredients? I sure do!

basil balsamic ingredients

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 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.

Equipment Needed For Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

This does not require any special equipment to make! If you don’t have some of the items listed, they are easy to find!

  • Immersion Blender 
  • Bowl or immersion blender cup for mixing the vinaigrette
  • Jar, bottle, or other container for storing

How simple is that? If you don’t have an immersion blender, I recommend getting one. They are really handy and worth having around.

How To Make Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is so easy! It’s as simple as adding your ingredients to the bowl or immersion blender cup and processing the ingredients. The immersion blender does all the work for you. For all the details, see the recipe card below for full instructions.

photos showing adding the vinaigrette ingredients to the blender cup
photos showing the vinaigrette being blended

Recipe Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

Could dried basil be substituted for the fresh?

I don’t recommend using dried, it is just not going to have the same flavor. 

What variety of honey would work best here?

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!

Can this recipe be doubled or made in an even larger quantity?

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!

I don’t have an immersion blender. Could I use a standard blender?

You can! In fact, I would recommend that if you want to make a larger amount of this to have extra on hand.

Could another variety of basil be used in this recipe?

I used Genovese Basil in this recipe, which is the most readily available variety sold in stores. It is the same one used in Italian cooking.
You could try Thai Basil here, but the flavor will not be the same. You could try purple basil, but its strong purple color might make a strange looking dressing.

How To Serve Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

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. 

strawberry feta salad

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.

I absolutely love it on caprese or panzanella salad 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 and my Strawberry White Balsamic Vinaigrette. I also use it in my recipe for Pickled Strawberries with Pink Peppercorn and Rose.

How To Store Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

This can be stored in a glass salad dressing bottle or glass jar with a tight fitting lid. It will keep for up to two weeks refrigerated.

I don’t recommend freezing this dressing, it does not defrost well.

If you are reading this, thank you for being here. I certainly hope you love this basil balsamic vinaigrette and that this recipe inspires you to make more of your own salad dressings at home. If you tried this dressing, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Just leave a rating or comment below. 

If you’d like to share this recipe with friends, here are some ideas:

Make it and take a picture and tag me @thecoppertable in a post on Instagram. You can also pin to a salad or condiments board on Pinterest. 

If you don’t use Pinterest, you can share on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you like! 

If you have not signed up for my email newsletter, you can do that below. I have all sorts of exclusive content just for newsletter subscribers, and I’d love for you to join. Happy Cooking!

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glass bottle of white balsamic and basil vinaigrette with a basil plant

White Balsamic and Basil Vinaigrette

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 61 reviews

This sweet and herby Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette is just what your salads need. Light and fresh with lots of yummy basil flavor!

  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

This vinaigrette does not freeze well.

You can use another type of basil other than the Genovese variety, but the flavor will be a bit different.

A high powered blender may be used if you don't have an immersion blender.

  • Author: Amy at The Copper Table
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Additional Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
  • Category: Sauces and Condiments
  • Diet: VegetarianDiet

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 227
  • Sugar: 10
  • Sodium: 584
  • Fat: 21
  • Saturated Fat: 2
  • Unsaturated Fat: 18
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 11
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 0
  • Cholesterol: 0

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19 Comments

    1. Thank you Melinda! I like avocado and grapeseed for their mild flavor. I hope you love this recipe!

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