Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
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This light and fresh Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing is perfect for sweet and savory salads. You can also use it in grain bowls and even for pasta! This homemade salad dressing is so easy to make using simple ingredients, youโll definitely want any to keep this healthy salad dressing in your fridge at all times!
Iโll admit that a lot of times I reach for the creamy dressings. My go-to homemade dressing is usually my Creamy Tahini Dressing but every once in a while Iโm in the mood for a good vinaigrette. This Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing is so light and fresh and pairs well with so many foods, I think itโll definitely be another go-to salad dressing I keep bottled in my fridge.
Making your own salad dressing at home is the best option. Itโs super fresh, thereโs no nasty ingredients, itโs not loaded with sugar like a lot of store bought salad dressings are, you know exactly whatโs going in it, and you have the option to tailor it to your liking. Did I mention itโs easy? Just combine ingredients, blend and pour! Or drizzle. However you apply your dressing ๐
The Ingredients
โ Lemon Juice. If youโre not in the mood to squeeze a couple of lemons you can use bottled lemons juice, however! Make sure the lemon juice you guys buy is just pure lemon juice and not concentrated lemon juice like you see in those little lemon bottles. I like to use the Santa Cruz 100% Lemon Juice.
โ Basil. Preferably use fresh basil leaves, but you can also used partially dried. Iโm not sure about completely dried basil, I havenโt tried that. Using fresh gives it that fresh smell and taste Iโve been talking about so if you can try to buy whole basil leaves.
โ Garlic. You can buy fresh cloves, but I misted used pre-minced organic garlic from a jar. Makes prep just a tad bit easier ๐
โ Dijon Mustard. I wasnโt going to add dijon mustard to this vinaigrette dressing recipe, but Iโm glad I did. It adds just the right amount of tang.
โ Agave Syrup. For just a touch of sweetness that cuts through the acidity of the lemon. You may also use maple syrup if you prefer.
โ Plant Milk. I used rice milk, but you can pretty much use whatever plant-based milk youโd like. Itโs make the dressing just a tad creamy without being a thick, creamy dressing like ranch or Caesar dressing. Adding plant milk also adds a little volume without watering the dressing down too much.
โ Salt & Pepper. You can add it to taste, another great thing about making your own dressing at home ๐๐ป
Storage
Depending on how much dressing you like on your salad, you should have enough Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing for two separate meals, maybe more. Youโll want to keep this stored in an airtight bottle in your fridge for up to a few weeks. What I like to do is keep a dressing bottle from a store-bought brand, wash it out and use it for my own homemade dressings ๐ค
Iโd love to hear how youโre using this Dairy-Free Creamy Tahini Dressing down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a five star rating โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ so that others can discover this homemade, plant-based dressing recipe! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup of dressing 1x
Description
This light and fresh Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing is perfect for sweet and savory salads. You can also use it in grain bowls and even for pasta! This homemade salad dressing is so easy to make using simple ingredients, youโll definitely want any to keep this healthy salad dressing in your fridge at all times!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons agave syrup (may substitute with maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced basil leaves (may use partially dried)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon plant milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of pepper
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Store any leftover dressing in an airtight glass bottle in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Category: Homemade Condiments
- Cuisine: American
Hi, this looks and sounds, delicious! Can you please tell me if we can use regular whole milk, in lieu of the plant mik? I definitely want to try this. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Beth Wilson
(Raleigh, NC)
Hi Beth, I havenโt tried that but it should work.
Thanks, Gina! ๐
Youโre welcome, enjoy!
This is a nice fresh dressing. I replaced the high fructose agave syrup (aka โnectarโ, made just like its cousin, HF corn syrup) with one TBSP of honey. Then I thickened it up with an egg yolk.
Glad you like it! Thanks for commenting โบ๏ธ
Hello! Iโve made this recipe twice and each time I get a really unpleasant burning/heat as a secondary note. It could be because I use fresh garlic and not pre-minced, and maybe I should use less than the 1tbsp as instructed. . But I was wondering if you had any recommendations or had ever experienced something similar when you were creating this recipe.
Hi Jessica, sorry to hear itโs not turning out for you. When you say burning/heatโฆ what does that mean? Like the flavor when you blend it? Maybe itโs the flavor of the Dijon? I donโt think itโs the garlicโฆ and since thereโs no cooking involved in this dressing Iโm not entirely sure whatโs causing the โburningโ??
I understand thereโs no literal heat required. I mean heat on the palette. This recipe makes my tongue burn and I have no allergies to the ingredients. I use Grey Poupon dijon mustard.