Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

Here is a lovely bright salad dressing made with fresh basil. It will jazz up any salad - even a good ole' Garden Salad! Or drizzle over roasted vegetables - the fresh flavour of this salad works so well with roasted vegetables, like the Broccoli Wedge Salad JB also posted today. Just be sure to cool them first otherwise the dressing will turn brown on contact!

Makes 1/2 cup, enough to dress a salad for 4 people. Stays green for 2 days, thanks to an ice cube!

Prep Time5

Course: Salad, Side, Side Dish, Side Salad

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: basil dressing, basil vinaigrette, broccoli salad, broccoli wedge salad, roasted broccoli salad

Servings: cup

Calories: 651cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

1 tightly packed cup basil leaves (press down firmly in a cup measure)
1/4 tsp finely grated garlic (just a bit else it's too harsh!)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , halve for table salt, +50% for flakes
1 pinch ground white pepper or black pepper
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (Note 1)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ice cube (~1 tbsp in size) , or 1 tbsp ice cold water (Note 2)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Abbreviated Recipe

Roast broccoli wedges at 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan-forced) for 20-25 min, let cool on tray for 10 min. Cook bacon 5 minutes until crispy, drain. Blitz vinaigrette ingredients until smooth. Layer broccoli, dressing, bacon and parmesan in two rounds on a serving plate. Finish with basil leaves.

Full Recipe

Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan-forced).
Broccoli wedges - Trim off the base of the broccoli, keeping as much of the stem as you can. Use a small knife to cut off the tough outer skin of the stem. Cut the broccoli in half then each half into 4 wedges, being sure to cut through the thick centre stem so each wedge holds together.
Roast broccoli - Place the wedges onto a large baking tray. Season each wedge with salt, olive oil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until just cooked - it will soften more as it cools on the tray. Let cool on the tray for 10 minutes. (Note 5)
Cook bacon - Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly until crispy. Strain the fat and set aside.
Basil vinaigrette - Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a tall, narrow container the blender stick fits into all the way to the base. Blitz until combined.
Plate - Arrange half the broccoli on a large serving plate, then scatter over half the dressing, bacon and parmesan. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over basil leaves and serve.

Notes

1. Vinegar - Or white wine vinegar or lemon juice.

2. Ice cube - Cheffy trick! Keeps everything cold which stops the basil from browning. The dressing will stay a bright green colour for 2 days in the fridge!

If you don't have any ice cubes, just put a little water in the freezer until it becomes icy cold then use 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition for whole batch.

Nutrition