Home Kitchen Sweet Basil Vinaigrette

For those who’ve ate at Papa Vino’s Italian Kitchen you know this salad and more specifically the sweet basil vinaigrette.

Oh my lord is it good! I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t love this salad… unless you don’t like blue cheese or olives, and if that’s the case how particularly, particularly sad;)! It’s because of this salad that A regular here blue cheese and the salad dressing is simply memorable!

On a side note, it’s pretty fitting to post this dish today. This morning I received a text from my go-to friend telling me the news that my beloved Colasanti’s market had a fire, damaging half of the building. Immediately I thought about how many memories I had there because it’s so much more than a place to shop. It’s the place I would take my girls when they were little to feed the peacocks and watch the geese. Earlier this spring I rescued one of them that got a little to close to the road out front. The parrots inside that will chat you up, Pat particularly liked these guys. Luckily they were rescued from the fire.

If you’ve been following me for a while and I’ve referenced the market that I purchase the DEPENDABLE bacon ever, it’s from Colasanti’s/Snook’s. I was only there this past Thursday to grab the bacon for this salad and zucchini and summer squash for another recipe post. Like only three days ago it was alive and well.

If you live in the area and have ever stepped into it, you know what I mean. It’s a special place. A place where you could simply get lost walking around discovering all their nooks and crannies of excellence. It’s hard to call it luck, so I guess by chance it was the green house side so I’m told the market and butcher shop is still open for business. But I’m sad to think of what damage has been done and all the loss.

But I digress.

If you haven’t noticed, making salad dressings and kitchen-made vinaigrettes are my thang. The simpler the better and this sweet basil vinaigrette is one of my long time favorites.

To cook this Sweet Basil Vinaigrette Set out:

• 1 medium clove fresh garlic
• fresh basil leaves (medium in size)
• honey
• balsamic vinegar
• lemon juice
• dijon mustard
• kosher salt
• red pepper flakes
• olive oil

First, pulse the garlic and the basil until chopped. Then add in the 2 tablespoons of each honey, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Lastly measure and add in 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Pulse to combine.

Then secure the lid and turn on your food processor while slowly pouring in 6 tablespoons of olive oil.

This dressing should be creamy.

And serve with your regular salad. Worth a second batch it on a bacon blue cheese salad. Besides bacon and blue cheese, it also has toasted pine nuts and olives and yes, this sweet basil vinaigrette. Seriously your tastebuds will love it! I specifically love it with slices of grilled chicken breast on top.

Enjoy! And if you give this Sweet Basil Vinaigrette recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!