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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
Super flavorful, easy to make: This pesto salad dressing uses a few simple ingredients, is ready in under 15 minutes and packs a punch!Highly versatile: Not only can this be used on a variety of salads (like this summer tortellini salad, or this delicious spinach and avocado salad) but you can actually use this as a marinade too. Customizable: Whether you want a light, refreshing pesto vinaigrette, or a more indulgent creamy pesto dressing, you can easily customize this recipe to meet your needs!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this recipe, you’ll need: pesto (storebought or homemade), lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper. If you want a creamy pesto dressing, you’ll also need mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
Notes and Variations
Different types of pesto: You can make this dressing with different types of pesto, such as a traditional basil pesto, kale pesto, or even a sun-dried tomato pesto. You can use grab pesto from the grocery store or make pesto from scratch (either from basil or other fresh herbs!). Substitute for the “vinegar” portion: This recipe uses fresh lemon juice, so technically it’s a “citronette” - the acid from the lemon cuts really well with the basil! If you’d prefer, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar for a more tangy version of this dressing. Adding sweeteners: I am not a sweet salad dressing person (except if it’s a pomegranate dressing, then I’m all for it). However, if you like sweeter salad dressings, you can add honey, maple syrup or sugar. Other additions: You can add some lemon zest for a more tangy dressing, red pepper flakes if you want something with a bit of a kick. The options are truly endless!
📖 Make pesto salad dressing
This salad dressing is no rocket science, honestly!
Grab your pesto or make it (have your pick: traditional basil pesto, kale pesto, broccoli pesto, or pea shoot pesto!) Traditional basil pesto, used in this recipe, is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil, so it’s really simple to make!For a simple pesto vinaigrette, add lemon juice and olive oil to the pesto in a jar along with some freshly ground black pepper to a small bowl. Mix well to combine. If you’re making fresh pesto, you can add these ingredients directly to the food processor container, and pulse it together a couple of times, to allow it to emulsify further. Want a creamier version? No worries, just add mayonnaise along with Dijon mustard and combine well (usually by shaking the heck out of the mason jar!) Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt also work really well for a healthier, tangier version of this recipe.
🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
You can store the dressing in an airtight container, refrigerated for 1-2 days. The vinaigrette might separate because of the oil solidifying in the fridge). But this is not an issue: allow it to come to room temperature, shake well to recombine and use as usual! I don’t recommend freezing the dressing. Instead, freeze the homemade pesto and then use it to make the dressing fresh as needed. To freeze leftover pesto, portion into a silicone ice cube tray. Flash freeze until it solidifies, then transfer to freezer bags or a freezer-safe container.
How can you use this pesto salad dressing?
This recipe is honestly so versatile. Of course, you can put it on any type of salad, but here are few places where I’ve loved using this:
Simple “house” green salad - mix of lettuces and kale or other leafy greens, fresh summer cherry tomatoes, red onions, and this dressing? Chef’s kiss! You’ll love it! My favorite salad (summer tortellini salad) which tastes great with both the vinaigrette version and the creamy versionUpscale this keto Greek salad, which is great for those that are watching their carb-intake (use the vinaigrette version!) Add this as a topping to any pizza of your choice - when I make a sundried tomato margarita pizza, I always drizzle a bit of this on top just before eating, along with red pepper flakes Add some to your lasagna or pasta - because, why not? I love adding the creamy pesto salad dressing to my spring pasta to give it a nice finish.
If you like this recipe, check out my other salad dressing recipes: If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Recipe
