Author Notes: This has become a signature salad dressing for me. Drizzled over soft butter lettuce, it is one of my simplest and most requested sides by my customers. The trick is blanching the basil leaves so they keep their vibrant color, and using a very powerful blender to get it nice and smooth. —lisina
Makes: a little less than a pint
Ingredients
-
1
cup basil leaves, packed
-
1
cup extra virgin olive oil
-
1/3
cup champagne or white wine vinegar
-
1
tablespoon dijon mustard
-
1
pinch salt and pepper
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch basil for about 20 seconds until vibrant green, then run under cold water to stop cooking.
- Squeeze excess water from basil leaves. Add to a high power blender, like a vitamix, with the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Start the blender and stream in the oil. Blitz until you have a vibrant green dressing, and there are no discernable pieces of basil in the mixture. A regular blender should work fine too, just make sure the oil is well emulsified and the mixture is uniform.
- Spoon over salad greens or steamed or grilled vegetables. The dressing is best if used right away. It will still taste good the next day, but the color may turn.