Basil Lime Vinaigrette & Marinade

Now that summer temps are here for most of the country, it’s time for lots of salads. And grilling. Boy howdy do I have a multi-tasker for you! This Basil Lime Vinaigrette takes about a minute to make, is fantastic on just about all the summer produce you can imagine, and makes a great marinade, too.

This Basil Lime Vinaigrette & Marinade is my favorite summer condiment.

Oh and here are the best parts:

1. It only takes 7 ingredients (that’s including salt and pepper)
2. It takes about a minute to make with a stick blender. You can use a conventional blender as well, but I actually find it emulsifies better using a stick blender.

Plus, if you use a stick blender, it’s already in the jar you can store it in, so there’s one less dish to wash! All you have to do is pile all the ingredients in a jar and give it a blitz.

If you’re anything like me and terrible at keeping herbs alive, this is a great way to preserve them. Once fresh herbs are pureed with oil, they’ll keep in the fridge for a while- up to a week or more. And you can also freeze it in ice cube trays to use later!

How to use this gorgeous hard working condiment? I especially love it with a summer strawberry salad (recipe for that coming soon), drizzled on at-their-peak tomatoes, as a marinade for shrimp, fish, chicken, or beef, or mixed into mayonnaise for a bright and herby aioli. And of course having a jar of this in your fridge means any salad you throw together will be made even better with a toss of this bright green magic.

Basil Lime Vinaigrette & Marinade

prep time: >5 minutes
makes: about 1 cup

1 large shallot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
a handful fresh basil leaves (about 1 cup very loosely packed)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
a few turns freshly ground black pepper

1. Place all the ingredients in a quart-size jar (or similar receptacle).
2. Using an immersion blender, blend for about a minute, or until the shallots and basil are pureed and the dressing is emulsified.
3. Store in glass jar for up to a week, or frozen in ice cube trays for up to 6 months. It might solidify and seperate when refrigerated, but just bring it to room temperature before using and give it a shake if need-be.

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