How To Make Basil Oil

With just 2 ingredients, you can learn how to make basil oil at home quickly and on the cheap! And, if you have a thriving basil plant, it’s a great way to use it up while also making a versatile pantry staple ingredient. Use it as a dip, as a drizzle on pizza, or use it to make compound butter.

As with our infused olive oil and truffle oil, basil oil is very versatile. It’s the perfect addition for drizzling over veggies, using as a flavoring for tomato and mozzarella caprese salad, adding to soup, or enjoying on fresh-out-of-the-oven bread!

And at Live Eat Learn, we don’t like to overcomplicate things. We kept this oil simple with just 2 ingredients and 15 minutes of actual work. No more buying expensive bottles of infused oil; make this instead!

grab these 2 ingredients

These ingredients can be doubled and prepared the same way if you anticipate needing a larger amount.

• Basil: Two cups of basil create a flavor that goes a long way and cooks down to help us reach the perfect oil-to-basil ratio.
• Olive Oil: As for the oil, extra virgin olive oil will do the trick. Be sure to aim for high quality oil here that has a mild flavor, as the flavors will be shining through!

here’s how to make it

Preparing this oil is a 15-minute process that’s very easy to put together.

Step 1: Prep The Ice Bath
Begin by preparing a bowl of ice water.

Step 2: Blanch The Basil
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the basil leaves in a colander, and then dunk the colander into the boiling water, using a spoon to ensure all of the basil leaves go under the water.

Step 3: Use The Ice Bath
Immediately transfer the basil leaves to the ice water to stop the cooking process.

Step 4: Blend The Basil and Oil
Strain the basil from the water and pat it dry. Add it to a blender along with the oil, and blend together until smooth.

Step 5: Strain
Strain the pureed mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the basil solids, leaving you with a smooth basil oil!

more infusion ideas

If you have more fresh herbs on your hands, try this method of infusion with any of the following herbs.

• Mint
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Dill

ways to use this emerald oil

For meals that you can pair with basil oil, try one of these! Each dish features ingredients that are made even more delicious when paired with the subtle but noticeable flavors of the oil.

• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is loaded with quinoa and greens and is extra tasty with the oil drizzled on top.
• Lemon Basil Risotto’s basil flavor is enhanced even more with a little drizzle of oil! Yum yum yum.