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Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette is a delicious and light salad dressing or dip.  Fresh lemons are grilled until they get caramelized and sweet then the juice is blended with fresh basil and parsley for a lovely warm weather recipe.

A closeup of grilled lemon basil vinaigrette showing the beautiful green color

This homemade 4 ingredient lemon dressing is perfect for any salad, a marinade and finishing sauce for chicken or fish. Also delicious as a dip for veggies, chips or anything edible you want to dip.

Adding Herbs to Sauces

Herbs are a delicious and healthy way to add flavor to blended sauces and dressing. Similar recipes to this which are herb based. Grilled Herb and Lime Chicken and Simple Roasted Vegetables with Herb Sauce and all these sauces have so many uses.

A bottle of dressing viewed from the side

Lemon and Basil Vinaigrette Serving Suggestion

I recently grilled vegetables to make a Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad (picture below) and the perfect way to dress this salad was with the grilled lemon and basil vinaigrette. This dish is perfect of for a light dinner or a tasty lunch on-the-go.

Pouring dressing over grilled spring vegetable pasta salad

Why Grill Lemons?

Grilling is a great way to transform the flavor of a lemon. Not only does it help release the lemon juices, but it makes the juice sweeter and  slightly smokey.

No grill? No problem. You can place the cut-side of the lemon into a cast iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat until it is lightly charred.

A bottle of salad dressing and a closeup of a grilled lemon cut in half

If you’ve tried this Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out the comments below. I love to hear from my readers! You can also ask a question.

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Yield: 8 -10

Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette

A side view of lemony green salad dressing in a glass bottle

Fresh lemons are grilled until they get caramelized and sweet then the juice is blended with fresh basil and parsley for a lovely warm weather recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 large lemons, cut in half
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) light tasting olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat indoor or outdoor grill.
  2. Cut the lemons in half. Brush the lemon halves with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Lay the lemons onto the grill cut-side down for 8 minutes until browned. Remove the lemons and allow to cool.
  3. When the lemons are cool enough to handle, squeeze the lemons through a sieve into a bowl.
  4. To a food processor or blender add the lemon juice, zest, basil, parsley and salt. Blend then slowly drizzle the 3/4 cup olive oil into the blender while running. Taste for seasoning and add pepper to taste.
  5. Pour into a container and refrigerate.

Notes

The dressing should last for up to 5 days refrigerated.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 195Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 0mgSodium 68mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 1g
© Janette
Cuisine: American / Category: Side dishes