Simple Basil Pesto Vinaigrette (with 5 ingredients!)

This flavorful and simple Basil Pesto Vinaigrette is such a staple in our kitchen. It’s just the right delicious balance of bright, acidic, and herbal. Besides the obvious, as a salad dressing, it’s wonderful on grilled fish, chicken, steak (trust!), pasta salads, and veggies.  I think you will really enjoy this easy recipe to brighten many of your favorite foods. This is one of my favorite vinaigrette recipes!

Pesto is one of my favorite sauces for pasta and so many other recipes. For this recipe, I used an adaptation from the book Pesto! by Leslie Lennox for the basil pesto.   What I love about her version is that it is heavy on basil and light on the parmesan cheese and nuts compared to most basil pesto recipes.  

You can also use prepared basil pesto for this recipe, and if you do, buy the best quality you can find.   DeLallo is one of my go-tos, and Mezzetta. Both of these are made with extra virgin olive oil and quality ingredients. 

This is a great low-carb salad dressing option without being heavy.  This light vinaigrette was developed for my Raw Zucchini Salad with Burrata, but you will find that it’s delicious and versatile! 

Main Ingredients

• Basil Pesto – if you can make it homemade, I highly recommend it! But good-quality store-bought will also work great.
• Red wine vinegar- for that zip that every salad dressing needs. White wine vinegar works well in this recipe. 
• Extra Virgin olive oil – a little more to emulsify and balance the flavors.
• Honey or white sugar to balance the acidity.  (or use agave syrup as a vegan alternative)
• Kosher or sea salt – for a little seasoning.
• Optional: squeeze of lemon.

Let’s make the dressing 

This 5-minute dressing is as easy as it gets. If you are making homemade basil pesto for this recipe, make it first. 

Using a small bowl, add the basil pesto, vinegar, kosher salt, and sweetener.  Slowly whisk in the extra olive oil until fully combined.  Taste for salt and sweetness, and adjust as needed. 

Storage 

Store in a small mason jar with a lid, or any airtight container, in the fridge. This dressing keeps for up to a week. If you remove it from the fridge and the dressing has solidified, just leave it on the counter for a few minutes, stir or shake the dressing, and it will liquefy pretty quickly. 

Great ways to use leftover vinaigrette 

• As a condiment for a grilled filet mignon or chicken breast. I just serve it on the side for that wonderful herbal pop of flavor.
• Delicious on cooked fish. 
• Drizzled over my raw zucchini salad, which ties in all those fresh veggies and fresh burrata cheese.
• Perfect for a simple green salad for some extra zing. 
• The perfect drizzle for sauteed veggies.
• Delicious on pasta salads like my Summer Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad.
• Light dip for crudités. 
• Delicious on greens with canned tuna or salmon for a quick lunch. 
• Drizzled on fresh summer tomatoes with fresh mozzarella.
• A dressing for crostini and bruschetta is great too. 
• Toss with chickpeas or white beans for a high-protein, high-fiber side dish. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

More pesto recipes you will love!

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