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This bright green basil oil is quick and easy to make, perfect for drizzling over fresh vegetables, eggs, or pizza. It’s a fun alternative to pesto and takes any recipe over the top!
Why we love this recipe
Happy summer! We’re up to our ears in basil and wanted to share a fun, easy recipe for using up some of that basil. Pesto is an obvious choice for a bounty of basil, but what about bright fluorescent green basil oil?
It’s simple to put together, easier and cheaper than pesto, and extremely tasty. Alex and I love the bright green color and how it adds an herbaceous pop to whatever you use it on. Drizzle over tomatoes, pizza, caprese salad, and more!
Process for making basil oil
The basic concept for making basil oil is to blanch the basil by boiling it for only 1 minute, then plunging it into ice water to stop the cooking. This locks in that brilliant green color.
After squeezing out all the water, blend the basil with olive oil using a blender or immersion blender. It yields a beautiful, verdant green sauce that tastes like summer.
Ways to use basil oil in recipes
To us, simple and quick “non-recipes” like this basil oil are the stuff of summer! We picked up the best heirloom tomatoes we could find and covered them in the basil oil, which was visually stunning and perfect for a patio party appetizer. Enjoy, and let us know if you try it out! Here are a few ideas for ways to use basil oil:
- Tomatoes or a caprese salad
- Bread like sourdough bread, no knead bread, or focaccia
- Pasta like spaghetti, bucatini, rigatoni, or penne
- As a garnish like crostini with goat cheese or gazpacho
- Meat or seafood like grilled chicken or grilled salmon
- Vegetables like grilled corn, grilled vegetables, or roasted vegetables
- Eggs like hard boiled eggs or scrambled eggs
- Potatoes like French fries or smashed potatoes
Dietary notes
This basil oil drizzle recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and refined sugar free.
Frequently asked questions
While you can use any type of basil, sweet basil (Genovese basil) is the most common and readily available variety, known for its classic basil flavor. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can experiment with other varieties like lemon basil or Thai basil for a unique twist.
Use only fresh basil for making basil oil, as it yields a more vibrant flavor and aroma.
It’s a great way to add a burst of basil flavor to dishes like pasta, pizza, salads, or grilled vegetables. Just be sure to add it towards the end of cooking to preserve its delicate aroma and flavor.
Basil Oil
This bright green basil oil is quick and easy to make, perfect for drizzling over fresh vegetables, eggs, or pizza. It’s a fun alternative to pesto and takes any recipe over the top!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup 1x
- Category: Essential
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Start a small pot of water to boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
- Remove the basil leaves from the stem and wash them; measure out 1 packed cup of leaves (make sure to pack the cup full for the best flavor). Once the water is boiling, add the basil and boil for 1 minute. Immediately turn off the heat, remove the basil and plunge it into the ice bath.
- Once the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and squeeze out as much excess water as possible, then dry them with a paper towel. (At this point the leaves will have wilted and reduced to a very small handful.)
- Place the blanched basil, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender or in the cup for an immersion blender; blend until fully combined. Taste, and add additional salt if desired. Pour into a sealable container. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Just made basil sauce and will put on cod for dinner . Excellent flavor.
I disagree about properly canning this
I think it would be no different than other canned vegetables have you tried that?
We haven’t tried it.
Very easy and delicious
Can you can this for fall/winter use?
Hi! Since it has fresh leaves in it we don’t recommend keeping it for a long term due to the potential of bacteria growing.
This looks so lovely. I bet it would be fantastic on cold soups as well as all of your beautiful suggestions.
Ooo I love that idea! On a gazpacho or something?!
This sounds terrific! I can already see myself drizzling, dipping, and drenching with this! I love the suggestions you had for using this, too – they all sound amazing :) I can never get enough basil!
Thank you so much! I hope you try it out. I agree on basil — it’s like gold to me in the summer! :)