Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

Ahhh, basil. Just a small whiff of this delightful herb makes me so darn happy. Doesn’t it just remind you of summer? Whenever I eat pizza, I always ask for extra fresh basil on top. That’s probably why I love this new Tomato Basil Vinaigrette recipe!

I purchased a large bunch of fresh basil at Whole Foods this weekend to use in a summer pasta dish. Luckily, I had plenty leftover, I was able to experiment a bit with a basil vinaigrette. We eat a lot of salads in our house, and we like to change up the dressings fairly regularly so we aren’t stuck eating the same thing all the time.

I’ve always loved the combination of tomato + basil + mozzarella + balsamic, so I knew those flavors would make a delicious vinaigrette (minus the mozzarella, of course…that would be weird). I never thought to put tomatoes in a vinaigrette before, but we had a handful of yellow cherry tomatoes sitting on our counter, so I thought, “Why not?” and just went for it.

The result? A serious winner!

This Tomato Basil Vinaigrette is slightly chunky, so you end up with delicious tastes of basil and tomato in every bite. I served it with a simple salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and feta, but I think it would taste great with almost anything you can throw together!

Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 5 cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 teaspoons shallot, minced
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon honey (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. In a mini food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, basil, shallot, garlic, dijon, balsamic, and honey. Blend for about 30 seconds. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender half way through and continue blending. Add the olive oil and blend for about 10 more seconds or until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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