This especially lively vinaigrette is perfect with tomatoes, but also could go with a variety of other things – spooned over burrata, fresh mozzarella, or feta cheese. It could also accompany grilled vegetables, fish, pork, shrimp, or chicken, or you could spoon a little over white bean dip or labneh just before serving. Toss it with pasta? Why not?
If you want to include fresh shelling beans with your tomatoes and burrata, as I did, they are easy to prepare. Shuck the beans and bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook at a low boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain well, the toss in bowl with a generous pour of olive oil – enough so they are well-covered, and season with salt. You can add chopped basil to them if you wish, although the sauce provides plenty of basil flavor.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 small shallot (25g) peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon kosher or flaky sea salt
- 2 cups loosely packed (25g) fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Put the olive oil, vinegar, water, shallot, mustard, and salt in a blender. Coarsely chop the basil leaves and immediately put them in the blender.
- Cover the blender and mix on high-speed for 15 to 30 seconds until the vinaigrette is smooth. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a little more water or olive oil to thin it out.
Serving and storage: The basil vinaigrette can be used right away or will keep for a week in the refrigerator. It’s best served at room temperature.
Source: David Lebovitz