White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette with Green or Purple Basil

🌱 This easy, fresh basil dressing is bursting with bright basil flavor. It's quick, irresistibly flavorful, naturally vegan, and is an elegant and versatile addition to salads, grilled veggies, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and so much more. And it's ready in 10 minutes! This dressing is a huge crowd pleaser, and you can make it with any type of basil straight from the garden or from the store. You'll love this White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette with Green or Purple Basil!

There's nothing better than intensely fresh and fragrant basil, straight from the garden. And thankfully, basil is also available at grocery stores year-round. I've joyfully tested this dressing with many of the varieties of basil in my herb garden, even the ones with very unique colors and flavors. And they're all fabulous! It's exciting to celebrate the nuanced flavor profiles that each type lends to this special and lively dressing.

💚💜 Gorgeous basil color and flavor

In the photos below, I'm using several varieties of basil from my garden for both the green and the purple (sometimes called red) versions of this enchanting vinaigrette. This dressing is brilliantly versatile, as it can brighten so many dishes. Feel free to experiment with your own varieties of basil. And this easy and quick sauce works just as well if you use the fresh basil available year-round at the store.

The types below are just a small sample of the dozens of basil cultivars I'm growing this year. For even more basil variety inspiration straight from my herb garden, check out my post with the profiles and taste-tested flavors of 38 Types of Basil You Need to Grow in Your Herb Garden.

And the varieties below include additional types I'm growing this year that I'll be sharing with you soon!

🟢 Green varieties in today's batches of vinaigrette

This time I've used Italian sweet and ruffled green types for a more traditional basil flavor. And I've also tested this with many other varieties, and have loved them all. Including with my most uniquely-flavored green cultivar this year, besobela coarse basil. This basil is sweetly spiced and floral, with notes of fresh spring streams, nutmeg, and cloves. And it made a fantastic and distinctive version of this sauce. It's so much fun to experiment with this recipe!

Green varieties top left to right: toscano, napoletano, siracusa, valentino.

And bottom left to right: green ruffles, mammoth sweet, Italian, keira.

🟣Purple basil varieties, also in today's batches

Purple varieties top left to right: red freddy genovese, charamel chianti, dark opal, purple delight.

And bottom left to right: amethyst improved, opalescent, crimson king, red genovese.

These are just a few examples of the exciting varieties you can use in this delightful sauce. I hope you'll try making this with your own homegrown (or store-bought) types!

Jump to:

• 💚💜 Gorgeous basil color and flavor
• 💕Why this recipe is special
• 📓Ingredient notes for white balsamic basil vinaigrette with green or purple basil
• 📒Step by step instructions & photos
• 💡Tips for the best white balsamic basil vinaigrette (either green or purple)
• 🔀Substitutions
• 🍶Variations
• 🥣Equipment
• ⏲Make ahead and storage
• 🍲How to use this basil vinaigrette
• ❓FAQ
• ✨More recipes you'll love
• ✏️Have you ever tried making homemade salad dressing? Have you tried making this recipe?
• White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette with Green or Purple Basil

💕Why this recipe is special

☕ Inspired by a special place

I first enjoyed basil vinaigrette dressing at our beloved neighborhood café while we were living in Shanghai, China- Café Du Village. Oh, how we miss this cherished community gathering space, with phenomenal fresh-roasted coffee, delicious flavorful food, and always great conversations with friends and neighbors. The fresh basil dressing there, which accompanied the universally-adored quinoa salad, was the favorite of many during our 4 years there!

My version of this vibrant and lively dressing is a nod to that special time in our lives and our many meals at the affectionately nicknamed "Café Du." We have to go back and visit there sometime soon!

😋 Beautiful bejeweled color and luscious flavor

Growing basil is truly a thrill for me. (Even despite it being an annual that needs to be replanted every year. It's so worth it!) There's such a breathtaking array of colors and flavors to experience with homegrown basil. And this deliciously fragrant herb is so easy to grow! In the photo above, I'm serving both the green and purple versions of this white balsamic basil vinaigrette with beautiful homegrown lettuce. This sauce is so beloved in our family. My kids are so excited whenever I make this dressing.

🌍 Harmonious blend of herb-forward global flavors

Basil is the perfect example of the unique spectrum flavors we can experience from all over the world. From the beautiful and sacred varieties of Indian tulsi, which you can find in my post Vegan Tulsi Masala Chai Recipe with Garden Holy Basil to the gorgeous frills and fuschia flowers of mrihani basil from Zanzibar, Africa, to the enchantingly aromatic Thai lemon (maenglak) basil, to the delicate and fuzzy-flowered Chinese sweet basil, you can grow and experience them all.

These varieties are included in those profiled in 38 Types of Basil You Need to Grow in Your Herb Garden. Each one is a joy to behold! Below is a photo of some of the additional varieties I'm growing this year, with more basil garden photos sprinkled throughout this post. All of the basil photos in this post came from my own garden. If only I lived in a warmer climate and could harvest it fresh for more time each year!

🌿Bright and botanical from the garden, fast and easy to make

Basil has an invitingly aromatic flavor that lends itself perfectly to this fresh and lively dressing. And it's easy to make and ready in minutes! The luscious flavor makes all the difference compared to store-bought dressings, and may just inspire you to keep making your own from scratch.

Another mouthwatering and quick homemade dressing you have to try is in my post Spinach Arugula Salad with Black Garlic Vinaigrette. This dressing is another special family favorite, and I know you'll love this one too!

🥬 Fresh and free of refined sugar

The vibrant, sweet flavor of white balsamic vinegar is the perfect backdrop to complement the aromatic, herbaceous notes of fresh basil. There's no need for additional sweeteners.

🍋 Lively and packed with mouthwatering flavor

This heavenly sauce has the perfect balance of savory, sweet, herbal, and tangy flavors to really please your palate. It's such a harmonious blend, and a huge hit with people who try it!

📝 Thoroughly tested and delectable in a variety of dishes

I've tested this dressing in multiple trials, with various types of basil and combinations of ingredients. I'm happy to say that this recipe has withstood many taste tests and minute variations. It's so well-balanced and packed with flavor.

And this is a really versatile sauce. You can serve it on garden lettuce, sliced heirloom tomatoes (both are pictured below), smashed roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, grain bowls, pasta, beans, tofu, as a marinade, and in a huge variety of dishes. And it's naturally plant-based and so very satisfying.

📓Ingredient notes for white balsamic basil vinaigrette with green or purple basil

The photos above show the same ingredients for either the green or the purple (sometimes referred to as red) basil variations of this dressing. They include:

Fresh basil

Please weigh your basil with a digital scale for the best level of accuracy. I just use the leaves, and I trim them very carefully to avoid bruising them. You can use any varieties you'd like. In the green version here today, I'm using Italian sweet and ruffled varieties.

And my purple varieties vary from having a greenish tinge (which will yield an earthier, more reddish hue) to some deep, all-purple leaves (which will yield a more vibrant pinkish purple color). The sky's the limit! Feel free to experiment. And as always, I'd love to hear all about your results in the comments below.

Olive oil

I like to use good olive oil to help distribute the flavors and create a smooth backdrop for this dressing. And since there's a lot of great flavor in this dressing, you don't have to use an expensive variety of oil whose nuance may be lost in the blend. Whichever one you have on hand is fine.

White balsamic vinegar

This sweet, tangy vinegar is perfect in this dressing. The more traditional (and also-delicious) dark balsamic vinegar includes cooked, aged, caramelized must (unfiltered grape juice) with deep complex notes. White balsamic vinegar, on the other hand, includes white grape must that is gently cooked, lighter, and fruitier than its darker counterpart. This special version serves two important functions in this dressing. Its light color allows the brilliant gem tones of green or purple basil to shine through with beautiful radiance.

Secondly, white balsamic vinegar has a zesty, sweet, and tangy flavor that perfectly offsets the herbaceous basil, the zip of the lemon juice and the earthy, savory notes of the vegetable bouillon. Because of this harmony of flavors, no additional sweetener is needed.

And the recipe gives a range in vinegar quantity that you can adjust to your taste for sweetness in your own version of this captivating vinaigrette.

Lemon juice

Please use freshly-squeezed lemon juice in this recipe. This will make sure your vinaigrette is fresh and lively. The bright lemon juice is a great counterpart to the sweetness of the white balsamic vinegar.

Garlic

We only need a little garlic to add an assertive edge to this delightful dressing. And since everything goes straight into the blender, you don't even need to mince it. If you'd like, you can chop the single clove into a few large pieces, since we'll only be blending this sauce minimally until just combined to retain the brilliant color.

Vegetable bouillon paste

I think this is one of the keys that makes this dressing really special. The rich, vegetal flavor of this bouillon adds an earthy note to the dressing that's more deeply resonant than we could attain through salt alone. It's a perfect foil for the sweet, bright, and tangy flavors in this redolent sauce.

I really love the brand Better Than Bouillon's Seasoned Vegetable Base. It's really satisfying, naturally plant-based, and full of deeply-flavored vegetables and seasonings. I always keep their large range of vegan flavors on hand and highly recommend them.

Salt

I use fine table salt in this recipe, but anything you have on hand will do. We're just adding a little to boost the savory notes we're getting from the bouillon paste.

Pepper

I like to use freshly-ground black pepper, and you could also use white pepper or a variety of peppercorns that are freshly-ground.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

📒Step by step instructions & photos

Green variation

Purple variation

🔀Substitutions

Olive oil

If you'd like to switch up the flavor in a subtle way, you can substitute some nut oil such as walnut, hazelnut, or pecan for some or all of the olive oil. I heartily recommend the excellent oils from J. LeBlanc. They're from the village of Iguerande, in the department of the Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy, France, near where my husband's family is from. I love visiting the stone mill at the small store there where these oils are made. I adore these oils. (And they have olive oil too.) If you try this vinaigrette recipe with one of them, please let me know how you liked it!

White balsamic vinegar

Dark balsamic: You can use traditional dark balsamic vinegar in place of the white balsamic one. It will have more concentrated, deeper sweetness, a stronger acidity level, and will alter the color of the finished dressing. The green basil variation will be a dark, brownish-green color, and the purple basil variation will have a burgundy, reddish-grown color.

Other vinegars, more lemon juice: You can also try this dressing with other varieties of vinegar like white wine, champagne, apple cider, or rice (unseasoned) vinegar, or you can just use additional lemon juice.

Lemon juice

Other vinegars: If you don't have freshly-squeezed lemon juice, you could try adding other vinegars like the ones recommended above.

Vegetable bouillon paste

If you use a substitute, make sure to check how this affects the salt content to bring the vinaigrette to your desired taste.

Bouillon cubes: Instead of this paste, you could use bouillon in cube form.

Miso paste: Miso (especially the milder white or yellow ones) would add a great umami note similar to that of the bouillon.

Nutritional yeast: This would impart a nice cheesy, nutty flavor.

Soy sauce or tamari (low sodium): Use sparingly to avoid overpowering the flavor and color of this fresh and zesty vinaigrette.

🍶Variations

Herbal twist

If you'd like an additional herbaceous note, try including additional herbs that would complement the basil. These could include parsley, chives, oregano, cilantro, or tarragon, savory, or thyme.

A little heat

If you'd like to spice up this vinaigrette, you can add some fresh green chili to your preferred level of heat. This would add some warmth without disrupting the beautiful color. And there are gorgeous purple chilis as well if you grow them or can find them to add to the purple version without altering the color!

Nuts or seeds

Try adding some toasted walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, or pecans for some nutty depth. Or, try some sesame seeds or pepitas for additional flavor and texture.

Creaminess

If you'd like to add a creamier, thicker texture, try adding some dijon mustard or really fresh tahini. I buy the latter at my local Middle Eastern market, where they make it on-site. It's so fresh and flavorful compared to the store-bought jars.

🥣Equipment

• Kitchen scissors: These are really helpful for carefully removing the basil leaves from the stems without any bruising. Basil needs a really gentle hand.
• Digital scale: This is really importan, especially for measuring the basil quantity accurately. These scales are inexpensive and also help to reduce the load of dishes you'll need to do. I always use a scale for cooking, and I heartily recommend them!
• Blender: For combining all of the ingredients to make the finished vinaigrette
• Cutting board and knife: In case you'd like to cut your garlic clove in a few pieces to make easier work for your blender
• Citrus reamer or squeezer: For the freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• Measuring cups and spoons: For measuring the liquids and small quantities of ingredients

⏲Make ahead and storage

Make ahead and refrigerate

This dressing will have the best flavor and most vibrant color immediately after blending. And it only takes a few minutes to make. So if possible, serve it right away. But you can make it up to 3 days in advance in an airtight jar in the fridge for optimal freshness, and it will keep for up to 7 days.

Freeze

I don't recommend freezing this dressing. The texture and emulsification may not last, and the flavor wouldn't be as fresh.

🍲How to use this basil vinaigrette

There are endless ways to use this vinaigrette as a dressing or sauce! Use your imagination and experiment to find your favorite ways to use it. It's so easy and quick to make, and yet so elegant and sophisticated. I know you'll love it! Here are a few ideas for using it:

Salad

This dressing is perfect over a salad of greens, sliced heirloom tomatoes, or a pasta salad.

Veggies

Try it drizzled on grilled vegetables, smashed roasted potatoes, or beans.

Pasta or grains

This would be a wonderful pasta sauce or in a grain bowl.

Tofu

Seared tofu would be a fantastic base for this sauce.

Marinade

Use it as a marinade for portobello mushroom caps on the grill, cauliflower steaks, or eggplant.

❓FAQ

✨More recipes you'll love

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

✏️Have you ever tried making homemade salad dressing? Have you tried making this recipe?

Please let me know in the reviews and comments below!