Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
Last Updated on February 8, 2023
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, you’ll definitely want any to keep this healthy salad dressing in your fridge at all times!
I’ll 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 I’m 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 it’ll definitely be another go-to salad dressing I keep bottled in my fridge.
Making your own salad dressing at home is the best option. It’s super fresh, there’s no nasty ingredients, it’s not loaded with sugar like a lot of store bought salad dressings are, you know exactly what’s going in it, and you have the option to tailor it to your liking. Did I mention it’s easy? Just combine ingredients, blend and pour! Or drizzle. However you apply your dressing 😛
The Ingredients
☆ Lemon Juice. If you’re 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.
☆ Basil. Preferably use fresh basil leaves, but you can also used partially dried. I’m not sure about completely dried basil, I haven’t tried that. Using fresh gives it that fresh smell and taste I’ve been talking about so if you can try to buy whole basil leaves.
☆ Garlic. You can buy fresh cloves, but I misted used pre-minced organic garlic from a jar. Makes prep just a tad bit easier 😉
☆ Dijon Mustard. I wasn’t going to add dijon mustard to this vinaigrette dressing recipe, but I’m glad I did. It adds just the right amount of tang.
☆ 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.
☆ Plant Milk. I used rice milk, but you can pretty much use whatever plant-based milk you’d like. It’s 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.
☆ Salt & Pepper. You can add it to taste, another great thing about making your own dressing at home 👌🏻
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. You’ll 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 🤗
I’d love to hear how you’re using this Dairy-Free Creamy Tahini Dressing down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a five star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover this homemade, plant-based dressing recipe! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
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, you’ll definitely want any to keep this healthy salad dressing in your fridge at all times!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ 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.
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About the author
Gina Fontana
Gina Fontana is a certified health coach, recipe developer, food photographer, published author, and blogger. Her own personal health challenges led her to a gluten-free, vegan, plant-based lifestyle where she found significant improvement in her symptoms. Her passion and mission is to now share that with others who also need (or want) to pursue a healthier lifestyle.
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 haven’t tried that but it should work.
Thanks, Gina! 🙂
You’re welcome, enjoy!
This is a nice fresh dressing. I replaced the high fructose agave syrup (aka “nectar”, 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 ☺️
Hello! I’ve 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 it’s not turning out for you. When you say burning/heat… what does that mean? Like the flavor when you blend it? Maybe it’s the flavor of the Dijon? I don’t think it’s the garlic… and since there’s no cooking involved in this dressing I’m not entirely sure what’s causing the “burning”??
I understand there’s 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.