The best basil recipes: 14 delicious, light and aromatic dishes

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Snacks, soups, ice cream and even compote with a unique taste.

1. Tomato soup with basil

The delicate taste and magnificent aroma of this soup will bring the whole family to the table.

Ingredients

• 2 onions;
• 6 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil;
• 800 g of tomatoes in their own juice;
• ½ l of vegetable broth;
• 2 teaspoons of Italian herbs
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• ¼ a teaspoon of ground black pepper;
• 200 ml of cream;
• 2 bunches of green basil;
• 70 g feta cheese.

Preparation

Finely chop the onion and fry in sunflower oil. When it is tender, add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Use a blender to puree the tomatoes. You can also use fresh tomatoes (8-10). The main thing is that they are ripe. First, remove the skin by pouring boiling water over the tomatoes.

Combine tomato puree with onion and garlic, add broth and bring to a boil. Add sugar, salt, pepper and dried Italian herbs. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Pour in the cream and add the chopped basil. Stir, reduce heat and simmer for another 2-5 minutes.

Serve with diced cheese and croutons.

2. Avocado soup with basil

Delicate and at the same time rich taste. On a hot summer day, it is eaten instantly.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe avocados;
• 2 lemons;
• a bunch of green basil;
• 4 green onion feathers;
• ½ l of broth;
• 130 g of natural yogurt;
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Peel and pit the avocado. Use a blender to puree the pulp. Drizzle immediately with lemon juice to prevent browning. Wash the basil, remove the stems and send it to the blender along with the green onions. A couple of basil leaves can be left for decoration.

Pour in the broth and yogurt, season with salt and pepper and beat again until smooth. Refrigerate the soup for one hour.

Serve over ice and garnish with fresh basil.

10 cream soups with a delicate creamy taste →

3. Pasta with basil and eggplant

A hearty yet light meal, suitable for vegetarians.

Ingredients

• 1 onion;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil;
• 1 eggplant;
• 1 bell pepper;
• salt and black pepper to taste;
• 600 g of tomatoes;
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 450 g penne or other pasta;
• ¼ a glass of water;
• a plate of green or purple basil leaves;
• 100 g feta cheese.

Preparation

Slice the eggplant. To get rid of the bitterness, season with salt and leave for 20 minutes.

Fry the onion and garlic in a deep skillet. When the onions are tender, add the chopped peppers and eggplant. Season with salt, pepper and fry for 5-7 minutes.

Then add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill with water, close the lid and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Add the basil leaves at the end. To make them juice, you can knead them slightly in a mortar.

Boil the pasta in lightly salted water. Combine pasta with vegetables and mashed feta cheese and serve.

10 pasta recipes anyone can handle →

4. Salad with basil, cherry and shrimp

Basil goes well with seafood. The salad turns out to be light and very aromatic.

Ingredients

• 150 g shrimp;
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• 300 g cherry tomatoes;
• a bunch of green or purple basil;
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Salt water and boil the shrimp. When cool, send them to a salad bowl along with halved tomatoes and coarsely chopped basil leaves.

Season with pepper and olive oil.

5. Caprese with basil

A light Italian snack where all the ingredients are so perfectly combined that they can't seem to exist in isolation.

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes;
• 200 g mozzarella;
• 15 green basil leaves;
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Cut the washed tomatoes into circles about 5 millimeters thick. Cut the cheese into slices - no thicker than 7 millimeters. Rinse the basil and separate into leaves.

Put it all in turn on a large platter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried basil. Drizzle with olive oil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

12 simple snacks that will help out in any situation →

6. Basil hummus

It would be a classic pesto if not for the delicate chickpeas, the sweetness of tomato paste and the explosive taste of Tabasco.

Ingredients

• 100 g chickpeas;
• 2 cups green basil leaves
• ¼ glasses of pine nuts;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• ¼ glasses of olive oil;
• ¼ a glass of lemon juice;
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2-3 drops of Tabasco;
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste.

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas for 6-8 hours. Drain and fill with new water so that it covers the peas by 2 centimeters. Simmer until the chickpeas are tender. At the same time, the structure should be preserved.

Rinse the basil, peel the garlic, and grind them along with the chickpeas and nuts in a blender. Add lemon juice and olive oil mixed together. Beat again with a blender until smooth.

Add tomato paste and salt, stir. Add a couple of drops of Tabasco and stir again.

7. Bruschetta with basil, tomatoes and garlic

Crispy bread, melting cheese in your mouth and an impeccable combination of tomato and basil flavors.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of baguette;
• 1 tablespoon olive oil + for lubrication;
• 50 g fetax;
• 5 cherry tomatoes;
• a bunch of purple basil;
• 1 teaspoon of provencal herbs;
• ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar.

Preparation

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the bread on top of it and dry lightly in the oven. Then brush each slice with olive oil and place the cheese cut into thin slices on top of them.

Cut the tomatoes in half, mix with chopped basil, herbs, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Spread the resulting dressing on top of the cheese sandwiches.

Send the bruschetta to the oven preheated to 180 ° C for another 5-7 minutes.

8 original hot sandwiches from renowned chefs →

8. Green basil pesto

An ideal summer sauce that goes well with pasta and pizza. But you can just smear it on a sandwich.

Ingredients

• 100 g of green basil leaves;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 50 g parmesan;
• 30 g pine nuts;
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ a glass of lemon juice;
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Rinse and dry the basil on a paper towel. Fry the nuts in a dry frying pan, grate the cheese on a fine grater, peel the garlic. Put all of these ingredients in a blender and blend well.

Combine olive oil and lemon juice. The latter will preserve the bright green color of the sauce and give it a delicious sourness. Pour the butter and juice into the basil in portions. Turn on the blender for 1-2 minutes after each time. Finally add salt and pepper and mix well again.

Transfer the pesto to a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

9. Basil chimichurri

Moderately sour, moderately spicy - this Latin American sauce is perfect for marinating meat.

Ingredients

• 4 cups green basil leaves
• 2 bunches of parsley;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• ½ jalapeno pepper;
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cups of white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of salt.

Preparation

Rinse and dry the greens. Peel the garlic, remove the seeds from the pepper. Grind it all in a blender, and then salt and mix with olive oil and wine vinegar.

10 hot sauces for every taste →

10. Basil tartare

Creamy and sour, this sauce will perfectly set off fried fish and game.

Ingredients

• 1 shallots;
• 3 tablespoons of capers;
• 1 bunch of purple basil
• 1 lemon;
• 200 g mayonnaise;
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Chop shallots, capers (can be substituted for gherkins) and chopped basil finely. Rinse the latter and remove the stems. Pour lemon juice over everything and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes.

When the herbs give off flavor, add the pepper and mix with the mayonnaise. Better - with.

11. French dressing with basil

This is a salad dressing that the French call vinaigrette. An excellent solution for vegetable salads, can also be used as a sauce for fish and chicken.

Ingredients

• ½ cup green basil leaves
• 2 bunches of shallots;
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ glasses of white vinegar;
• ¾ cup olive oil.

Preparation

Rinse and dry the basil and shallots. Combine them in a blender bowl with mustard, salt and sugar. Grind until smooth. Then pour in the bite and whisk again.

Gently add olive oil to the dressing. Stir and transfer to a glass container. Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

20 dressings that will improve the taste of any salad →

12. Basil gelato

Delicate creamy delicacy in the best Italian traditions. A dense texture that melts in your mouth, an unusual refreshing taste.

Ingredients

• 2 glasses of milk;
• 1 glass of cream (at least 30% fat);
• 2 cups basil leaves
• ¾ glasses of sugar;
• 6 eggs;
• ¼ teaspoon of salt;
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preparation

Combine milk, cream and ½ sugar in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. But never bring it to a boil. As soon as the first bubbles begin to appear, remove the saucepan from the heat.

Beat the other half of the sugar with a blender with egg yolks, basil, salt and zest. Gently pour the egg-basil mixture into the cooled milk-cream mixture. Whisk again and send to the water bath. Stir constantly until the cream thickens. It is also important to avoid boiling.

Pour the thickened mixture into a container suitable for freezing. When it cools down a little, put it in the freezer for 5-7 hours. Remove and stir the gelato every 60 minutes.

13. Basil grapefruit lemonade

Refreshing bright taste. Easily turns into a summer cocktail when added with rum.

Ingredients

• ¼ glasses of sugar;
• ¼ a glass of water;
• ½ cup grapefruit juice;
• 10 green basil leaves;
• 500 ml of mineral water with gas.

Preparation

Pour sugar with water and melt in a water bath. Stir constantly so that the mixture does not burn and there are no lumps.

Mix the cooled sugar syrup with grapefruit juice. Rinse the basil and crush lightly to give juice. Combine it with the sugar-grapefruit mixture, stir and let stand for a while. Pour in soda, add ice.

Homemade Cherry Lemonade Recipe →

14. Basil compote

When hot, it resembles berry tea, and when cold, it perfectly tones and refreshes.

Ingredients

• a large bunch of purple basil;
• ½ lemon;
• 2 liters of water;
• 100 g of sugar.

Preparation

Rinse the basil and lemon thoroughly and chop coarsely. If fresh lemon is not available, use one teaspoon of citric acid.

Pour basil and lemon with water and put on fire. When it boils, add sugar and stir. With the specified amount of sugar, the compote will turn out to be sour. If you like it sweeter, add some more sugar.

Let the compote simmer for 15 minutes. During this time, it will acquire a beautiful pink color. Then remove from heat and strain through a sieve. Pour the finished compote into a decanter, teapot or glass bottle.