Ellen’s Lemon Basil Salad Dressing

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated Nov. 22, 2022

Ellen’s Lemon Basil Salad Dressing
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(384)
Comments
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Ellen Greenblatt, a friend who lives in Berkeley, Calif., shared this recipe with me. Toss a green salad with this dressing, and no additional herbs will be necessary. It is perfect for chicken salad or drizzled over a cooked chicken breast; use it over shrimp, salmon or sliced tomatoes. Ms. Greenblatt uses a mini food processor, but the dressing also can be made in a mortar and pestle. Try it on some of the salads in the Recipes for Health index.

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Ingredients

Yield:½ cup
  • About ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt
  • lots of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 to 3teaspoons mild honey (to taste)
  • 6tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

195 calories; 20 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 83 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the basil in the bowl of a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and honey, and pulse several times until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the olive oil and process until emulsified. Taste and adjust honey and salt. Serve right away to preserve the color.

Tip
  • To make this dressing in a mortar and pestle, grind the basil leaves, then add the remaining ingredients and work together until smooth.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
384 user ratings
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Comments

Frank Izzo

Just balance these ingredients to taste. Start with the measurements and go according to you own taste.

Elaine

I made according to the recipe but I needed at least 2 additional TBSP of olive oil and it is still a bit watery. It also needed an extra TSP of honey. I would go with 1 TBSP of lemon juice with 2 TSP honey and the 6 TBSP of olive oil. Will try it again though.

Andrea

Too sweet for me. I would leave out the honey.

gibby

I used much less honey, adding little mini-dollops until it balanced the lemon and the grassiness of the basil, but did not overpower with sweetness. Used it on a farro salad I concocted to use up leftover codfish. It worked great there, and I suspect it will work well elsewhere--on freshly broiled white-fleshed fish, on chicken breasts, on pasta salads.

Sheri Emerick

Made this as suggested, but just couldn’t get it to taste like I wanted even after adding more salt and honey. Finally added a tsp. Of stone ground mustard and that did the trick!!

Laura

thanks for the shallot tip!

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