Basil Oil Recipe

Basil oil poured over labneh in a blue dish

Calories: 1463kcal

Author: Maureen Abood

This gorgeous oil is wonderful made with fresh basil, but you can use any herbs you love, including mint or dill or tarragon, or a combination. Drizzle the oil on a dish and eat with bread or vegetables; it's also great on crostini, eggs, labneh, soups, and anywhere you can think of! Use the herb puree that is left from straining, stirred into sauteed spinach or in vinaigrettes.

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Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups basil leaves
2 cloves garlic sliced in half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil use mild olive oil or a neutral oil (such as safflower or canola)

Instructions

Make an ice bath in a large bowl with several cups of ice and a couple of cups of water. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring a couple of quarts of water to boil. Plunge the basil and the garlic in the boiling water for about 15 seconds, then transfer the basil immediately to the ice bath. Set the garlic aside.
Once the basil is chilled in the ice bath, transfer the basil to a clean towel and wring out as much water from the basil as possible.
In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, garlic, salt and oil. Blend on high speed for about one minute, then a second time for about a minute.
Line a strainer with a layer of paper towel or a couple of layers of cheesecloth, and place the strainer over a bowl. Pour the blended oil into the strainer, and allow the oil to strain for a good half hour.
Pour the oil from the bowl into a jar; taste and add more salt, if needed.

Nutrition