Vegan Avocado Basil Dressing š±This easy, healthy, oil-free, gluten-free salad dressing recipe has it all. Creamy, citrusy, and subtly sweet with the perfect herbal balance of basil and richness of avocado.
This zesty creamy dressing will wake up any salad!
There’s a local cafe that my hubby John and I enjoy for a quick lunch. We always share a veggie sandwich & side salad which comes with a fantastic creamy basil dressing. I wanted to try to create an oil-free version of their dressing and boy did I come close. The flavor was spot-on, but it just wasn’t quite as creamy. So I decided to throw in some avocado. Wowza!
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The avocado made the dressing rich and creamy. And the color. . . gorgeous!
I love pouring a dollop of this vegan avocado basil dressing on salads and roasted veggies. Try it on our Vegan Roasted Root Veggies!
Since this recipe includes fresh avocado, you will want to prepare it right before serving. You can combine all the other ingredients in advance, but the avocado should be added at the last moment. Only make enough dressing for one day, as it will likely discolor after a few hours.
HOW TO PICK A PERFECTLY RIPE AVOCADO
So, youāre in the produce section at the grocery store and you need avocados to make vegan avocado basil dressing. How do you go about choosing which ones to buy when they all look pretty much the same?
- Select your avocados based on when you plan on making the dressing. If you want to prepare it the same day, choose ripe (not over-ripe) avocados. A ripe avocado will be fairly firm, but will yield to light pressure. The skin will be snug to the fruit, not brittle or pulled away. A perfectly ripe avocado will be neither hard nor mushy.
- My husband always checks to see that the stem is still intact on the avocados he buys. If it has been removed, the avo will tend to over-ripen from the top, so he only buys the ones with the stems.
- Thereās a fine line between ripe and over-ripe and youāll know it when you cut into an avo. One of the first signs of it being too ripe is the color of the flesh. Once those brown spots show up, itās too late. Another way to check if itās over ripe is by smell. An acrid or sour smell is a sure sign that you wonāt be using that avocado.
- If you donāt plan on using your avocados the day you buy them, itās better to error on the side of caution and choose firmer ones. If you have ripe avos that you wonāt use the same day, put them in the fridge. It will slow down the ripening process and might give you a few extra days to use them.
If you love this yummy dressing, be sure to check out these other easy & delicious vegan recipes!
- Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup
- Best Vegan Pesto Sauce
- Vegan Roasted Root Veggies
- Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
very vegan š± very good
Vegan Avocado Basil Dressing
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- paring knife
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch fresh basil washed and stems removed
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp blue agave nectar š„see notes below
- 1/2 large avocado
- 1/4 C water
- 1 pinch sea salt I suggest 1/8 tsp or less
Instructions
- Place basil, agave nectar, lemon juice, and salt into food processor or blender
- Pulse until basil is completely pureed.
- Add avocado, continue to puree.
- Gradually add water, a little at a time, until dressing is a consistency you like.
- Add salt to taste (I suggest 1/8 tsp or less)
Notes
Nutrition
āļøāļøāļøāļøāļø If youāve enjoyed this recipe, please consider rating it using stars in the comments below. It helps other readers and allows more people to find it online. I love hearing from you! Letās keep in touch!
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If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider rating it using stars āļøāļøāļøāļøāļøin the comments below. It helps other readers and allows more people to find it online. I love hearing from you! Let’s keep in touch!
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