Got pesto? Then you can easily make a homemade Pesto Vinaigrette that’s bursting with fresh flavors! An easy recipe, this salad dressing is made with just 4 ingredients.
Pesto Vinaigrette is guaranteed to become your new go-to salad dressing, not just for the summer, but all year long too.
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Pesto Vinaigrette
There’s nothing quite like the flavor of a homemade salad dressing. No preservatives, no added sugar, just good fresh ingredients.
And a homemade vinaigrette is so easy to make.
You can use a homemade pesto, my preference, or pick up a jarred pesto or refrigerated pesto at the grocery store. The choice is yours and all will taste delicious in this recipe.
Extra virgin olive oil is the best olive oil to use when making a salad dressing. It is very flavorful and will add delicious flavor notes to the dressing.
A little red wine vinegar and grated Parmesan cheese and that’s all you’ll need for a mouthwatering Pesto Vinaigrette for your next salad.
You can shake it up in a mason jar or use a food processor, blender or immersion blender, and process it until the dressing is smooth.
Just 4 ingredients and this salad dressing is ready to enjoy.
But don’t just stop with tossing it on your salad.
Of course your salad greens and fresh salads will taste delightful but let’s take this one step further, shall we?
Now go ahead and toss it on a pasta salad and any summer salads you make this season.
Potato salad, and even cole slaw, will taste delightful tossed in this pesto dressing.
Green beans with cherry tomatoes will be elevated to a new level of deliciousness with this basil pesto vinaigrette.
Making this easy dressing is a great way to use up leftover pesto you may have on hand.
I can assure you that you’ll be making this pesto dressing over and over again. A simple recipe that's so delicious. Enjoy!
And if you have more pesto that you want to do something delicious with, make sure you give my Pesto Mayonnaise recipe a try too!
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Be sure to visit the Swirls of Flavor Amazon Storefront for GG's personal kitchen recommendations!
And have you checked out my Ultimate Guide To Making Homemade Salad Dressings? Read about all the types of salad dressings that you can make at home!
Learn all about pesto, what does pesto taste like, how to make it, store it and even freeze it, along with lots more pesto recipes!
How to make pesto vinaigrette
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Combine pesto, olive oil, vinegar and Parmesan cheese
- Shake in a mason jar until blender or process in a blender until smooth
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- A homemade basil pesto recipe will add delicious flavor
- Serve this vinaigrette shaken and with texture or process it for a smoother dressing
- Add thinly sliced fresh basil leaves to your salad too
- Season your dressing with kosher salt and black pepper
- For a creamy salad dressing stir in a tablespoon or two of sour cream
Substitutions
- You can substitute apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar
- You can substitute white balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar
- Substitute white wine vinegar for the red wine vinegar
- Olive oil can be used in place of the extra virgin olive oil
- Substitute fresh lemon juice for half of the vinegar
Salad Dressing Storage
- A good rule of thumb is to store homemade salad dressings for about 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Since there are no preservatives or chemicals in your homemade salad dressing to preserve their shelf life, it is best to store your vinaigrette or creamy dressing in the refrigerator in a glass jar or airtight container with a sealed lid.
- As always, I find it helpful to visit the FDA website for food storage guidelines
Ingredients for basil pesto dressing
- pesto
- extra virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- grated Parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette Recipes
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing from The Stay At Home Chef
Pesto Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
- ½ cup pesto
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients until blended. You can shake the ingredients together in a mason jar.
- For a smoother salad dressing process ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and blended.
Notes
- A homemade basil pesto recipe will add delicious flavor
- Serve this vinaigrette shaken and with texture or process it for a smoother dressing
- Add thinly sliced fresh basil leaves to your salad too
- Season your dressing with kosher salt and black pepper
- You can substitute apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar
- You can substitute white balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar
- Substitute white wine vinegar for the red wine vinegar
- Olive oil can be used in place of the extra virgin olive oil
- Substitute fresh lemon juice for half of the vinegar
Such an amazing use of pesto. It is going to be my staple salad dressing.
I love pesto, but am terrible about making it at home. This just gives me a reason to make it! Sounds delicious!