If a pile of fresh basil has you making all the pesto in the world, take 15 minutes to whip up this fresh salad dressing. I must admit, it’s probably one of the best salad dressings I’ve ever made and even got a “wow, that’s really good” from a hard-to-please family member.
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It’s a rich and thick balsamic vinaigrette, made herby and fresh thanks to a bunch of basil leaves, traditional salad dressing ingredients, and an easy pickling technique that I’m obsessed with.
Balsamic notes
My dressing was really thick because the balsamic I used with aged and syrupy. If you use a “younger” balsamic, your dressing might not be as thick as pictured. Trader Joe’s has a wonderfully aged balsamic that is sold only at the holidays that would be great for this basil vinaigrette.
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Pickled shallots are the answer
Shallots are a salad-dressing smooth talker—they slip in a mellow, subtly sweet onion flavor without shouting “raw onion!” And for this dressing, we are mellowing them out even more by giving them a quick pickling balsamic.
It just takes about 10 minutes to pickle shallots for dressing and while you’re waiting, you can pick your basil and cut it into a nice chiffonade.
Shake up some basil vinaigrette
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Fresh Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar the best you can afford
- ½ large shallot , finely minced; about 2 Tbsp.
- ⅓ cup olive oil , your favorite brand
- ½ tsp kosher salt, to start
- ¼ tsp pepper ground
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Instructions
- Mince the shallots and add to balsamic in a small bowl. Allow to pickle for 10 minutes.½ large shallot, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar the best you can afford
- After pickling the shallots, whisk in the olive oil and seasonings until thickened.⅓ cup olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp pepper ground
- Stir in the fresh julienned basil leaves. Taste and correct for seasoning.⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
Notes
- If you have a hard time whisking, hold the whisk between the palm of both hands and swish back and forth (like you’re washing your hands) while keeping the whisk at the bottom of the measuring cup the whole time.
- Follow the recipe but place the ingredients in a jelly or canning jar. Shake vigorously to incorporate and mix the dressing.
